Won't Do
by freeflow
Summary: When trust is shattered, a father experiences true terror, and a little boy feels more than the sting of uncaring words. ATF LB universe.
1. Just Another Morning

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own nor claim to have invented the recognisable characters or settings used in this work; they are the property of ****CBS, The Mirisch Group, MGM, and Trilogy Entertainment. ****This is a work of fiction created for entertainment purposes only, no financial gain is being made. Any original characters are of my own design for the purposes of this story.**

**The M7 ATF universe is the creation of Mog and the Little Britches AU was created by (I think!) Barbretta Hayden. I have long been a fan of both universes and authors, and am grateful for both being able to access the wonderful worlds of M7 and LB fanfiction, and experience the reams of extraordinary work available on these boundless characters.**

**A/N:**** As a first time writer in this fandom, I am not certain as to the nature of fic submission. If I am treading on anyone's toes, I beg your virtual pardon, but I could no longer resist the pull of little Vin and daddy Chris. Feel free to contact me with any queries (or complaints!).**

'Won't do'

Chapter 1 

'Not another one! Chris, didn't we just take the boys for these?'

Shaking his head in mock exasperation and taking a swipe at the dark head, Chris Larabee took the letter back from his old friend.

'No Buck, those were for polio, TB and… something else. These are different, I guess. And anyway, if it saves us another go around of last time the boys were ill, I'll do anything.'

Chuckling softly, Buck Wilmington stood up from his place at the breakfast table and stretched out the kinks in his back, arms above his head, yawning widely.

'Well, I can't disagree with that. If anyone comes down with something at school, it's a given those two'll have it the next day, and twice as bad. And I've about had my fill of runny noses and cleanin' up puke for this year. Hell, for the next ten years!'

'Buck! Language!'

The hissed reprimand had the taller man ducking his head as he remembered the small ears just next door.

'Jeez Chris, it ain't like they're in here with us. And Vin's so quiet I forget he's here most a the time!'

Folding the letter and placing it beside the phone, Chris glared at him then stabbed a finger in his direction.

'Quiet or not, I ain't gonna be the one explaining to Miss Nettie or Vin's teachers when he comes out with those words you been spoutin'. You know that boy's got the hearing of a bat when he shouldn't be listening to something, and he misses nothing in this house!'

Peering round the corner in to living room, he lowered his voice even further, and a small grin crept over his features as an idea flared to life in his mind.

'And as punishment, you get the pleasure of booking the appointments for the immunizations. And don't get 'em for next month or get chattin' with the receptionist. I want it done as soon as possible, over and done with. I don't want the boys worryin' about this. Now, get to it. Use that mouth for somethin' useful.'

Face twisting in distaste, Buck snatched the offered phone out of his friend's hand and whined, 'Aw Chris, you know I hate this kinda thing! I can't think straight when they're firing questions at me, and they put ya on hold then suddenly pipe up, demandin' names and answers that I can never get straight! Can't you-'

'No Bucklin, I can't. I gotta go get the boys ready for school, and find the casefiles for the Andersen bust. Remember? Actual work to be done, by an actual working man. Now get them appointments booked, and be quick about it – I'm leavin' in ten minutes.'

Sighing at the uncaring back as Chris left the room, Buck took his seat again, and raised the phone to eye level, growling at it softly.

'Now you just behave, ya hear? I don't want no trouble. Just an appointment, then finish. I don't - '

'Buck? Why ya talkin' at the phone when there ain't no-one there?'

Jumping at least an inch off the chair, the man scrambled for the phone, catching it just before it made contact with the table top. Hearing high-pitched giggles from under the table, he peered down to meet the dark eyes staring up at him.

'JD, son, we're gonna have t' talk about you sneakin' up on ol' Buck like that. Enough to scare the hair right offa me!'

Eyes growing larger by the second, JD Dunne scrambled from beneath the table and reached a hand out to his father, clambering up on to his lap with all the grace of a buffalo. Holding in the grunts of discomfort desperate to make themselves known, Buck held on to the small hand until the boy was semi-stable. With one hand occupied, and the other still holding the phone, he had no defence against the fingers which latched on to his moustache and tugged.

'Yeow! JD, boy, what you playin' at? That there is attached to my face, y' know.'

Letting go and settling back, JD nodded his head wisely, and declared;

'You told a lie, Buck, an' I'm gonna tell Chris.'

Momentarily silenced, Buck just looked at the boy in wonderment – until an abrupt shout broke his astonishment.

'Chri-is! Chris! Buck's tellin' 'zaggeration's, and it ain't the truth! Chri-'

A firm hand clamped over the excitable lips and Buck quirked his head to one side.

'What on earth are you hollerin' about boy? I ain't told you no lies, and that is way too loud for this early in the morning.'

Twisting his head, JD escaped from his father's hold and scrambled back to the floor. Turning back to Buck with exaggerated patience, JD sighed and pointed a tiny finger.

'You ain't lost yer moustache, so it didn't scare right offa ya. An' I'm tellin' Chris 'cause me an' Vin ain't s'pposed to 'zaggerate, so you can't either. Chris!'

With that, the boy spun round and began his haphazard search for the disciplinarian in the house – leaving a shell shocked Buck at the kitchen table, listening to the shrieks as they grew more muffled by the walls and rooms between him and the instigator.

When the shouts stopped, and Buck could hear the low, steady tones of Chris's voice – hopefully explaining the difference between the truth and figures of speech – he realised he was still gripping the phone in his other hand.

Staring dazedly at the receiver, he shook his head and mumbled, 'I think I'll take my chances with you. Can't be anymore confusin' than that there littl'un.'

--

To be continued...


	2. Everyday Things

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 2

'So Buck and I'll be there too, but we have to go early tomorrow morning so we can get back to work as soon as possible. That means you'll be missing your first few hours of school, boys, but I guess you won't mind that too much, huh Vin?'

Grinning up through unruly curls, Larabee caught the laughter in his son's blue eyes. He knew full well that Vin endured school mostly for his sake, and struggled through his lack of education and poor reading skills simply because Chris emphasised the importance of literacy so much. Yet slowly but surely, the boy had become more comfortable with their system – school through the day, homework for an hour and then time alone with Chris to straighten out anything that he was unsure about. Still, the rest of the evening and weekends were Vin's favourite time, free to play or sit with Chris, explore with JD or watch movies with Buck. So it wasn't a huge surprise to see the easy acceptance of some time away from school by the youngster.

JD on the other hand was a different story.

'But Chri-is! We's got a book t' read in the mornin' an it's about a tiger and we ain't got it and I'll never know what happens if we don' go ta school!'

Rolling his eyes, Vin finished zipping up his bag and went to stand beside his father.

'It don't matter none JD, we can jist borrow that book iffen ya want it that much. S'only a stupid tiger anyway – not like it's got horses in it.'

Running a gentle palm over the dark blond hair, Chris bit back a smile as the small frame leaned in towards his leg, an arm wrapping around his thigh and felt the fingers picking at the front of his black jeans.

Leaning down to straighten the rapidly thrown on t-shirt of the youngest member of his household, Chris attempted to soften the blow of missing class. JD had no problems with school – bright, confident and friendly, he had made easy the often awkward transition in to a new environment – and so returning, even after an adventure like the one Chris had planned for them, knowing that his friends would have done something that he had missed out on did not sit well with the boy.

'Well JD, we'll just do as Vin says. Borrow the book. Then Buck can read it with you before bedtime.' Winking and slanting a sneaky smile at the dark haired child, he lowered his voice dramatically and leaned in close so that both boys could hear. 'Or if you think it's too scary for Buck, maybe you'll have to tuck him up in bed instead, huh?'

Laughing behind slightly chubby hands, JD's eyes shone with renewed happiness.

'You're silly Chris! Buck ain't scared of nuthin', and I know, 'cause he said his hair would a falled out if he got a big scare. An' he's still got his hair an' muztache, don't he?!'

Groaning slightly and straightening up, Chris once more laid a soft hand on Vin's head, taking relief from the one quiet charge that he had to deal with in the mornings. _Lord knows what we'd do with _two_ JDs..._

'I guess you're right about that, JD. But remember what we said about figures of speech? How they don't usually mean exactly what they say?'

Nodding his head and turning his back on his second father, JD struggled with his own book bag and muttered to Chris distractedly.

'Yup, Buck didn't 'zaggerate, and he didn't lose his hair 'cause he figured that his speech didn't mean 'xactly that. I know. An' I ain't supposed to say liar if it's figures of Buck speakin', 'cause he likely isn't sayin' what I think he's sayin' anyway. Can we go now?'

Eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open, Chris took a moment to realise that he'd been asked a question. Feeling the shaking beneath his palm, he looked down to see Vin gazing up at him, laughing at his father's obvious bemusement. Shaking his head and raking his free hand through his hair, he nodded.

'Er, yeah, yeah JD, we're going. Just waiting for Buck to finish on the phone.'

Rushing in on cue, the dark haired man scooped up a giggling JD and grabbed his car keys on the way to the door. Dangling the boy over one shoulder and turning to Chris, he shot his friend a wink and tossed his head.

'You boys ready to go? Gotta lot ta do today if we want to go see Aunt Rain in the mornin'.'

Piping up from a rapidly reddening face, JD grabbed a handful of Buck's shirt and heaved a breath.

'How come we's gonna see Aunt Rain Buck, huh? We gonna have a barbecue again?'

Herding Vin towards the door and picking up his case-files and JD's abandoned bag from the floor, Chris shot Buck a half-hearted glare.

'Yeah Buck, how come we are gonna see Aunt Rain in the morning? I thought you were booking an appointment, not organising our social lives.'

'Hey stud, that's just what I've done. Couldn't get us an appointment for the doctors; guess there's a lot of kids need those needles. So I rang Nathan, see if he could sneak us in somewhere, and he said the hospital's doing them too, trying to take some of the heat off the doctor's surgery. We're getting in tomorrow through Rain's unit at Denver General. Pays to have friends in medical places, huh?'

Spinning around to lock the doors, he listened with amusement as Buck swung his boy around, off his shoulder and in to the waiting car seat, all in one wildly quick but perfectly controlled sweep. Breathless but still talking, JD was crying out, 'Do it again Buck! Again!' as Chris stashed both boys' bags in the trunk and piled his case-files in the far corner, away from any potential leakages.

He knew that they were not taking lunch today, buying school meals as neither man had had time to stop for groceries yet that week, but he was not taking any chances. Both boys had a habit of storing away things that they had grown attached to, carrying them wherever they went. Last month Vin had had a bouncy ball that found its way in to Chris's desk, his coffee cup and his sock drawer before his son lost interest and left it for JD to add to his toy collection. JD however, liked food and if it was strange, multicoloured or smelled odd, he wanted to show it to everyone he knew. Twice now Chris had been forced to redo paperwork and official letters as once bright blue and another time chunky red liquid had soaked all the files that had been beneath the book bag.

Slamming the trunk closed, he bent to swing Vin up on to his hip and placed a kiss on the smooth cheek.

Waiting for his father before getting in the car had become a ritual for the child. As rambunctious as Buck and JD could be in the mornings, Vin needed a little stability before embarking again on the travails of school – and his father understood that. The seconds holding his boy before the day truly started had become the basis of his own sanity – when work became a little too bureaucratic, a little too heavy, just that little bit too overwhelming, he would think of these seconds, when his face pressed in to Vin's baby soft curls and the arms wrapped around him and only then would he be able to take a breath and carry on with his day.

_Hell, half of those morons at work have no idea that they owe their lives to a seven year old at least five times over..._

Bouncing the small frame once, he too ducked to strap his son in, even as Vin scowled at the treatment. He was fine with a hug and the sense of security his Dad gave him before the car ride, but he was no baby, and could fasten his own seat belt, if only they would give him a chance to prove it!

Ready to leave at last, the Larabee-Wilmington express peeled out of the long driveway and began the trek to their various stops. Glancing back in to the rear of the car, Chris smiled at the scene there. JD, hair sticking up from his tumultuous ride to his seat was still giggling to himself and was beaming at the back of Buck's head, no doubt coming up with a thousand questions to fire at the big man just as soon as he could get a word out around his laughter. And Vin, on the opposite side, was sitting staring out the window, watching the fields of Chris's property roll by as though the scenery itself could soothe his spirit.

_And it probably does. _

Nodding his head in silent agreement with that thought, Chris's eye caught a subtle movement as he watched. The hand he had thought was propping up the tousled head was in fact rubbing slow circles on his cheek, gently touching the skin in absent wonder.

Frowning and curious, Chris was just about to ask if his son was alright as he heard a small sigh, and Vin settled further in to his seat. A rush of warmth passed through the hard man then, as the utter contentment in that sound made everything clear.

Rather than pain, Vin's fingers had been caressing the skin, testing and touching with infinite care. And Chris knew well what it felt like, as he had kissed that exact spot just minutes earlier.

Tipping his head back on to the seat behind him, Chris let out a sigh of his own, drawing a glance from Buck. But seeing his friend and boss's relaxed features, the dark haired man gave a smile of his own and smacked Chris's knee in companiable understanding.

_Them boys done worked their magic again..._

And meeting his friend's gaze, Chris wondered what on earth he had been doing for the past three years, existing without this feeling.

_Today is going to be a good day..._

To be continued


	3. Crowds and Critters

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 3

'We should've known it would be like this Chris, it always is. And 'specially after that bus accident down town – we're never gonna get seen!'

With Vin huddled close and JD hoisted up on to one hip, Chris craned his neck to peer over the top of the crowd, as it pushed and squeezed in an undulating mass. The day before, this idea had seemed like a blessing in disguise – rather than dragging the kids off to some private clinic somewhere - the only place with any appointments available in the next month - Nathan's fiancée, Rain, had stepped in to the breach and offered the hospital's services. And after a happy, contented day, the family had gone to bed cheered by the thought of one more thing to tick off the list, and a morning away from school, depending on whose opinion was asked for. But neither man had expected a bus to run in to the side of a concrete wall in the middle of Denver, and certainly not for everyone who had been on the number 214 – and, it seemed, their whole families – to turn up at the hospital, even though those who required first aid had received it on scene. Inwardly growing more irritated by the group created paranoia which was making his morning so awkward, Chris stopped right where he was and decided that he was not moving from that spot until he had planned his next move.

Searching for any sight of the soon-to-be-Mrs-Jackson but having no immediate success, he shook his head and turned back to his friend.

'Doesn't look like Rain's about – probably busy if there's been an accident. We'll just have to ask at the desk. Erm-'

Trying and failing to manoeuvre around the throng of noisy, harried people around him, he turned back to Buck and pushed JD towards him. Grinning, the dark haired man grabbed his son around the waist and hefted him up to his shoulders, earning a glare from a middle-aged woman as she hastily avoided five year old feet in flight.

Throwing her a wink and a quick 'Sorry, Darlin'', Buck turned on his heel, and using his considerable size, began to ease his way to the reception desk, accompanied by JD's laughter and small finger drumbeats on the top of his hair.

Shaking his head at the game Buck managed to make even out of this situation, Chris turned to his son and raised his eyebrows in question. Without hesitation the small arms shot out in response, and the dark clad man bent to lift Vin out from under the feet and thighs of impatient patients.

Faces almost touching in this new position; Chris was able to hear his son clearly for the first time since their arrival.

'I don't like this.'

Sighing and hoisting the thin form higher, Chris wrapped both arms around Vin, and kissed the side of the wide eyed face.

'I know. We're going to find Aunt Rain, then we can get out of this rabble, 'kay?'

Getting a short, sharp nod in return, Chris began to dance his way through the people gathered around. Rather than easing and sliding through like Buck, Chris seemed able to spot a space, and moving from one to the next, had little problem following his friends.

Of course, to anyone watching it seemed as though the crowd was parting for him. And he had no problem perpetuating that particular belief with some well placed glares.

Finally reaching their destination and thanking any deity that may have been listening for the slight lessening of noise in their particular corner, Chris looked up to see Buck laughing and Rain with one hand up, tickling JD.

'Hey boy, watch where you're kicking those feet!'

Still, no matter how much fun Wilmington had with his own boy, he always had time for the quiet child in his oldest friend's arms. Noticing Chris and Vin's arrival he lowered his voice and placed a hand on Vin's back.

'Junior alright?'

This drew Rain's immediate attention and leaving JD gasping bent double over his father's head, she turned to her other 'nephew' to stroke the lightly curled hair and smile at Chris. Answering for him, she let Vin know she was there with a cheerfully effusive greeting.

'He's just fine, aren't you Vin? Just a little crowded in here, that's all. Now I'll just be a minute, and a nurse'll be out to see you. Get you out of all this hurly-burly!'

Winking at their friend, Chris nodded his head and smiled as Vin turned to his Aunt.

'Hey Aunt Rain. There's- there's a lotta people here, ain't there?'

'There _are_ a lot of people honey, because there are a lot of people that need to see a doctor. But you're just here to see a nurse, so you'll be in and out in no time. And...' Digging in the large pockets of her white coat, Rain's eyes widened theatrically as she withdrew two brightly coloured stickers and offered one to each boy. '...I just happen to know a doctor who can push you to the front of the queue!'

Taking a Spiderman sticker from his aunt and leaning forward as Chris supported him, Vin paced a shy kiss on the woman's cheek before settling back, content, and fiddled with his t-shirt as he tried to find just the right spot to attach his gift.

'Thanks Aunt Rain.'

'You're welcome Vin – and for JD, we have...'

'Oooh! Superman! Buck, lookit, Superman!'

'Well that's fine JD, just watch that doesn't get stuck in my hair, you hear? And JD, son, what do you say to your Aunt Rain?'

Patting the head beneath his hands, JD dragged his gaze from his new prize.

'Thank you Aunt Rain. I ain't got a Superman one, now I got the whole collection! Spiderman, Superman, Spongebob-'

At this Vin roused from his silent perusal of his own present and shot a scornful glare at his friend.

'JD! Spongebob ain't a superhero, so he can't be in no collection, less it's a sea critter collection.'

'Well I ain't got one a' them, so it's just goin' in my sticker collection. And Spongebob is too a superhero! He's got a cape an' stuff.'

'He is not JD, he's a sponge an-'

'Boys, boys, now there's enough noise in this here room already don'tcha think? Now how about we just wait quietly until the nurse comes to fetch us, and then afterwards we can go grab some food before you guys go back to school. Huh? How's that sound?'

Grabbing on to the small ankle hanging over his chest, Buck tugged to emphasise the underlying bargain in his offer – _stay quiet and behave, and you get McDonalds_.

'Yeah! Happy Meals! We'll be quiet, huh Vin? We won't say nuthin' – we'll be quiet as Unca Josiah's church mouse, or two mouses, not say anythin' else now-'

Chris chuckled as the little boy continued muttering, tugging and fiddling with Buck's hair, then his sticker, then back to the hair. He could see the result coming a mile away, but did nothing, content to let Buck learn the hard way about putting a child as energetic as JD anywhere near his head with gluey items.

He felt a warm sigh against his neck as Vin shook his head at JD's ramblings.

Laying his head on the broad shoulder, the little boy nevertheless kept his eyes glued on his own sticker, pressing it flat with his palm and rubbing one thumb over the glossy surface.

'He don't never shut up.'

A soft smile played at the corners of Chris's mouth and he turned back to Rain, catching her expression and knowing that she had heard the comment too.

Winking at him, she placed a hand on the arm holding Vin up and squeezed.

'Well boys, I've got to get back, but there should be someone out any minute to see you. You two behave, okay? And you too, JD, Vin.'

Laughing at Buck's expression of feigned hurt, Chris waved at their friends and leaned against the wall, watching the crowd hugging Vin close against the milling mass and listening with half an ear to Buck and JD's winding conversation, yelled over the top of the noise in the room.

_Hope this doesn't take much longer. Don't know about Vin, but this is even getting to _me_..._

Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a middle aged man in salmon coloured scrubs appeared in front of him.

Glancing down at the clipboard he held in his hands, Chris watched with barely concealed hope as the pale eyes scanned what seemed to be a list of names.

'Mr Dunne?'

Chris could not help but laugh out loud at JD's enthusiastic;

'He sounds like Unca Ezra, don't he Buck?!'

Shaking his head, he pointed a finger at the chattering child and gave the man a conspiratorial wink.

'That's Mr Dunne, or JD as we call him. You the nurse for the immunizations?'

Smiling vaguely, Chris could see the forced expression settle on the man's face.

_Can't say I blame him – probably been here for hours..._

'I've come for JD.'

'Hear that little britches? You get to go first!'

Swinging the boy down, Buck addressed the nurse with a broad grin.

'So, where are we going? This way?'

'Oh no, Sir. Not us. Just JD. Less trouble that way, you see.'

Wrong-footed, Buck looked at Chris, and then down at his son, hesitant.

'Well, I'd rather go with him, if ya don't mind pal.'

Reaching out and snagging the boy's small hand, the nurse looked down at Buck's hold on his son and raised an eyebrow.

'Sir, I promise you, it is four times as busy back there as it is out here. It makes everything quick and easy if we just do this.'

Bouncing back from the wall as he was once more jostled by the pack, Chris hefted Vin higher and growled at the perpetrator.

Attention drawn by the sound and then noticing the tightly shut eyes of the boy in his friend's arms, Buck nodded once, then released his grip.

Running a hand over the dark hair, he smiled down.

'Now JD, you be good for the nurse and we'll be outta here in no time, ya hear? I'll be waiting right here for you.'

Still twisting his sticker to catch the light in the crowded room, JD waved vaguely.

'Uh huh. Ba bye, Buck.'

The pair were immediately swallowed up by the mass of bodies, and Buck slumped back against the wall.

Gazing at the place where his son had disappeared, he whispered softly, before plastering a smile on his face and turning to Vin and Chris.

'Be brave, little man.'

To be continued


	4. Trust Shattered

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 4

'Hope this doesn't take too long. Otherwise I might just join Vin; shut my eyes and start howling.'

Seeing the nerves in Buck's stance, Chris tried to ease his friend's anxiety.

'No offense big dog, but I don't think I could carry you for very long.'

Smiling at the image _that_ conveyed, Vin suddenly frowned.

'I ain't howlin''

Ruffling the curly hair, Buck grinned as Vin ducked away, pulling a face.

'Yeah, but you would if you could. Ya should, ya know. It's good for ya. Thing is, you and Chris, you ain't howlers. Me and JD, on the other hand...'

At this, Chris snorted.

'Huh, howler isn't what I'd call you two. Noisy, chatterbox, blabbermouth – that's more like you guys. Full of hot air, don't know when to quit –'

Catching Chris's eye, Buck grinned toothily, and the two adults knew what the other was thinking.

_Yeah, and more names besides, if there weren't little ears listening!_

'Hey! Alright, alright! We get the picture, okay?'

Giggling now, Vin slanted a look at the lady's man and smiled.

'I jist call 'em the lips on legs.'

Shocked into silence, but only for a moment, Buck erupted into heartfelt laughter. _Lord, how he loved these boys! Never know what they are gonna do or say next..._

He stopped short, however, at an impact on the backs of his legs and he looked down to find two small arms locked around his thighs.

'JD? What's wrong little britches? You alright?'

Feeling rather than seeing his boy shake his head, Buck reached around and pulled the child up in to his arms, where immediately the unhappy sniffles turned in to full blown wails.

'I don't like it!'

Eyes wide, both Chris and Buck looked first at each other and then the dark head buried in Buck's neck.

'Aw, well, JD, it's over now – you're alright son.'

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Chris felt the arm around his neck tighten in anxiety.

Glaring at his oblivious friend, he rubbed Vin's back gently, wincing as JD's cries grew even more piercing.

'It's alright Vin, JD's just a bit upset is all. You know we're just outside if you need us – can you be brave for me cowboy?'

Earning a wide-eyed nod from the boy, Chris could not help but feel a sliver of relief as Vin whispered;

'JD really does howl, huh?'

Laughing, he lowered the boy to the floor as the nurse returned.

'Well sure he does, pard. Learned that from his pa, after all.'

Moving forward, intending to get the whole ordeal over as quickly as possible, Chris frowned slightly as he met the nurse's eyes.

Pale and constantly moving, the man seemed unwilling to meet Larabee's gaze, and stretched out a hand to Vin instead.

_Probably embarrassed about JD's reaction. Hell, who wants to be screamed about in a crowd of people – especially when those people are likely to be some of your next patients?_

As Vin took the other man's hand and began to follow, he suddenly glanced back at Chris and, stopping, thrust his hand at his father.

'Will ya keep Spiderman 'til I get back? I don't wanna lose it. S'off Aunt Rain, an' I'm gonna put it on my lunch box.'

Sliding the sticker in to his top pocket, Chris nodded his head and patted the material over his son's treasure. Winking at the boy, the man smiled as Vin took in the action, and his face radiating his complete trust, turned and followed the nurse out.

Turning to the slowly rocking man behind him, he placed a hand on the back of the now quieting child supported by his friend's strong arms, and pushed dark hair away from wet cheeks. Slightly surprised at the actual tears - _cynical it may be, but JD does, more often than not, makes a lot of noise without physically crying! _– Chris lowered his face to sneak a look in to brown eyes, only to find them tightly closed. Blowing lightly over the damp features, he smiled as JD cracked an eyelid, then seeing Chris so close, reflexively turned to press closer to his father.

'Hey JD, it's alright. You don't have to cry any more. You've done all the hard work now. Soon we'll be in McDonalds and you and Vin can get an ice-cream each, if you want. How's that sound?'

Expecting a pleased response or at least a lessening in the tears, both Chris and Buck were stunned to hear the wails erupt once more, at twice the pitch as previously.

Bouncing the child up to face level, Buck wrapped one arm under the boy's thighs and raised the other hand to his face, wiping the tears and clucking in distress.

'Hey hey hey! JD, son, come on, it's not so bad. Why you still crying huh? That needle can't have been so big that you still –'

'I ain't gonna get no McDonalds, 'cause I ain't had no needle 'cause I ain't no good!'

The outburst, stammered through heaving breaths and backhanded swipes at a gooey nose, had different effects on the two men listening. Buck, mortified at the wrenching desolation in his boy's voice, raised a gentle hand to JD's head and pressing a kiss to the wet face, jumped to his defence.

'You _are_ good, JD, why would you say something like that? You're my boy, and ain't no one gonna tell me that you're not good, not even you, ya hear?'

Chris, however, had felt a rush of fear burst through him at the child's words, and raised a pale face to the boy.

'JD, what do you mean, you didn't get a needle? The nurse didn't –'

'Mr Larabee?'

Turning with a sharp response ready on his lips, Chris reined in his temper at the sight of a small, girlish woman with a high pony tail and a welcoming smile, which while plastered across a flushed face slowly slipped at Chris's expression.

'M – Mr Larabee? Er, I'm here to see to the boys? I'm Rain's friend.'

Sweeping his gaze down over her clipboard, pink scrubs and blue tabard, covered with lions and elephants and all the jungle animals that Vin had in his Noah's Ark at home, he almost threw up.

Pushing past the woman, and vaguely hearing Buck's questioning 'Chris?', he thrust himself through the crowd, ignoring the shouts of annoyance and anger as he bodily moved people from his path.

Bursting through the swinging doors in to the corridor where his son had been led, he spun around, searching for any sign of a children's ward, of the nurse, of his boy.

Seeing nothing but occupied gurneys and puzzled faces from various medical staff, his heart began to beat harder, adrenaline blocking out the questions from a doctor who approached him. Shaking off the soft hand which he only saw as holding him apart from his child, he let out a coarse yell.

'Vin?!'

Hearing the panting of approaching bodies behind him, he spun to where he knew Buck would be.

For now ignoring the questions in his friend's eyes, he focused completely on the child he held.

'JD, son, I know you're upset, but we've got to know. Where did the man take you? And why did you say you didn't get a needle?'

Frozen by the urgent tone in Chris's voice, and tearing up once more at the sudden movement back towards the source of his upset, JD stared wide eyed at his second father.

Well aware of the child's background and unwilling to heap anymore trauma on the boy, Chris nevertheless felt the seconds tick by as his son was conspicuously gone from his care. Stepping forward, he stroked the dark head once, and coaxed gently;

'JD, buddy, did the nurse give you the injection?'

Calming under the soft hand, JD shook his head haltingly and leaned further in towards Buck.

'You're not in any trouble, little bit. But you gotta tell us what happened. What did the nurse say to ya?'

Rubbing a small hand over his father's collar and picking idly at a stray thread there, JD nuzzled the warm neck and sniffed hard.

'He said that I won't do, I ain't no good. He don't like me, 'cause I talk too much and a ya ain't s'posed to talk unless someone talks to you first. I won't do Buck, he reckons I won't do. I ain't no good, so I don't get no needle and no McDonalds. And now Vin's gonna get one, and I won't.'

With JD beginning to cry once more, Chris raised terrified eyes to Buck, watching in distracted dismay as the big man folded his child back in to his chest, stroking the back of the dark head and swaying in a soothing motion.

'God Buck, who the hell did we let take our children?'

Looking around frantically, Chris again noticed the petite nurse, and the concerned doctor standing just behind her. Locking in on the two before him, his fury coagulated, and all thoughts of comforting and reassuring left his mind.

Straightening with a predatory intent, Chris caught and held the stunned gaze of the attending, and cocking his head to one side, whispered with dark promise;

'Where the hell is my son?'

To be continued.


	5. Unsteady, Unstable, Unwanted

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 5

It had taken just under fifteen minutes for the entirety of Team Seven to descend on the hospital waiting room, and only four more to set up a command post in one of the surgical consult offices.

'The doors are all locked down and security has been notified. Only emergency cases are being permitted to enter the building, and the cameras are being checked as we speak. It should only be a matter of time, Mr Larabee. He can't have gone far, and as soon as Master Tanner realises that he is not where he is supposed to be, he is unlikely to co-operate any further. With as many people looking out for him as we now have, it is a high probability that he will be found post haste.'

The calm, collected report was typical of Ezra Standish, but both Chris and Josiah, who were sharing the small space with the determined agent, could read the distress in the words, and the agitated need to be _doing something_ in the jerky hand movements. A huge hand descended on the slight shoulder and with a comforting squeeze, Josiah wordlessly lent his steadfast faith to his younger friend.

That same comfort could not appease the other occupant of the room, however, as Chris Larabee paced the small space with a terrifying purpose. Minutes earlier had seen the exit of Buck carrying a crying JD, as the atmosphere surrounding the blond darkened to hellish proportions.

'Brother, there is no way for this man to get out, especially with Vin in tow. Now all we have to do is-'

'Get out there and tear this place apart until I get my boy back? You're damn right Josiah! So why am I being kept in this goddamn room when that freak is out there with my son, doing whatever he – god – doing –'

Pressing a pale hand over tightly pressed lips, Chris stuttered to a stop, dragging in two quick breaths and pressing his eyes shut.

'Chris, please don't do this to yourself. Thinking of the what-ifs and maybes is only going to make this worse. We've just got to concentrate on finding them, and to do that, we need to know who this guy is, and how he got hold of a nurse's outfit and the list of names for the immunizations. Now-'

'No we don't! I could give a good goddamn about who he is or how he managed this, or why, or finding out whatever deep dark secret he's got lurking in his past that might explain away the fact that he came up to me, looked me in the eye and then took my son. All that psycho-analysis crap is fine when we've got the time and space to get inside a criminal's head, but right now, right at this precise moment, all I want is for you to let me out of here and find Vin.'

Moving towards the profiler with determination, the tension broke slightly with the swinging of the door, and the arrival of the other members of his team. Seeing the destructive intent in his oldest friend's eyes, Buck immediately held out a settling hand, warding off the movement towards the corridor.

Meeting the stormy green eyes brought a wince from the moustached man, as he saw not only the fury there, but the devastating fear that came not only from having lost one child before, but also witnessing hundreds of such cases in his everyday life, the ATF having stumbled over abused and mistreated kids more and more often in the increasing lawlessness of modern day Denver.

_Not Vin, though. We won't let it happen to that boy, not after everything he's already been through..._

'Whoa there pard. Now let's just think before you run off half-cocked and disturb everyone in this place. There are a lot of sick people here, Chris, and families that aren't going to take kindly to you smashing through their rooms and rooting under beds.'

'You think I care, Buck? You honestly think I care whether people take _kindly_ to me?'

Snorting his answer seemed to lessen the tension in the room, if only for a minute.

'Chris, buddy, I know you don't give a damn what people think of you on a good day. And so far, this has been so far from one of them, I ain't sure I can remember what a good day is. But you have to do this the right way, pard. Look, we know Vin ain't in the emergency room,' each man in the room had flashes of Chris tearing doors open and yelling his child's name with three orderlies attached to his arms and shirt, the sight that had greeted them when they had walked in to the hospital a quarter of an hour before, 'and he ain't in the kiddies ward either, 'cause me an' JD were just there. There's only two other exits from this building in to the street, and they're both covered, so the only way he could have gone is further in to the hospital.'

Growling out his impatience, Chris turned on his heel and slammed a fist in to the dry wall, then turned to glare at Nathan, daring him to comment. But without any actual blood, Nate knew better than to try to talk his leader in to any medical assistance – past experience stronger than any ingrained training – and he simply shook his head and leaned forward to add his own information.

'JD's with Raine, Chris, and the only wards that are left to search are orthopaedics and psych. If you're going to do this, we should go now whilst JD's safely tucked away, and before the boy realises that his best friend has gone missing. Not just to spare him any more upset, but also to spare the rest of this block the sounds of those powerful lungs of his when he does find out.'

Growing grave at the reminder of the other child he had taken in to his heart, Chris shook out his hand and flexing the knuckles once, began barking orders.

'If security and the staff are as organised as Ezra says, then we should have some assistance, but I'm not taking any chances. Buck, you and Josiah take orthopaedics, Ezra and I will take psych. Nate, you stay here and keep JD and Raine company – I'm sure she isn't taking this too well herself.' Chris met Nathan's eyes to see the truth of that statement, knowing that the medic's fiancée was horrified that it was in her place of work that one of the boys had disappeared. And worse, that she had been there just minutes before. Nathan had spent five minutes just trying to convince his lady that they did not blame her; she had her own job to do, that she could not have prevented this. And then another five minutes just holding her, as the rest of the team gathered their intel.

Now, however, Chris had reached his limit. Patience decimated by his proximity to the 'victim' – and God knew how much he detested that word when it came to those he loved – he was crawling out of his skin with the need to move. Striding to the door, and this time unimpeded by his teammates, he led the charge from the small room. Locking gazes with each of his friends, he watched as they split in to their assigned groups, and with an ease born of years working together, knew that they would get the job done. As in this case, there was no other option.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vin was not sure what was going on, but he did know one thing for sure. This man was not Chris, and he was not a nurse. And he was not going any further.

He knew he was considered to be a quiet child - compared to JD, he was virtually mute, as Buck declared almost daily – but he was not shy about making his feelings known, if they were important. _And this, this is important._ Still, he was not going to be rude. He knew Chris liked good manners, and his mama had always taught him to be respectful. So he tried to get the man's attention, pulling on his hand and slowing his feet.

' 'Scuse me, Mister? Er, Mister... nurse?'

No answer, and the pale face did not change, as though he hadn't heard. Vin tried again.

'M-Mister nurse? Can we, can we stop? I- I don't think Chris would want me ta go this far with ya, an' I wanta go back now-'

A low chuckle slipped down to Vin as their speed increased. The clipboard clattered down to land on a side table, and the hand clamped around Vin's tightened as he pulled harder down the corridor.

'No no no, you don't want to go back. You're a good boy, you'll stay with me now. We're going to play, just like friends. We'll have fun, I've got lots of things for us to play with, just me and you. You don't talk like that other boy, you'll listen to me. No one listens, but you will, won't you Vin?'

Eyes wide as he was forced to trot to keep up, Vin's mind flashed through everything that the man had said.

'Y-yessir, I'm good at listenin', but JD, he, he's a good boy too, he jes' talks a lot, he's gotta lot a' things to say, y' see. But, I think I should go back now. Iffen ya jes tell Chris where we're goin' then I think-'

A sharp tug broke off the boy's words and he stumbled as they rounded a corner, slipping through a doorway in to a brighter corridor, painted in yellows and light blues.

'No, no, he won't play. Not like you, you're quiet, you've got quiet eyes. Chris, he, he's got loud eyes, they say too much, I don't want to play with him. Just you, just you...'

Swinging quickly in to another room, Vin bounced off the back of the man's legs, peering round to see why they had stopped.

Pulling once more and spinning Vin in to the far corner, the man wrenched off his scrubs top, throwing it in to the far corner and sliding a white t-shirt on in its place. Peering down at his young captive once more, the pale eyes crinkled in gleeful mirth to see the boy standing stock still, seemingly waiting to see what was going to happen next.

'And now we can play, anything you want. I don't get any friends up here, so I'll let you choose the first game, okay?'

Pushing the door shut and propping a chair under the handle, the man jumped up on to the bed and crossed his legs, Indian style, rocking slightly with excitement. Vin backed up a step, pressing in to the corner with his hands behind him, feeling the cool solidity of the wall and running his fingers over the streaks in the paint work.

'Come on, what do you want to play? We could play nurses. I'm good at that.'

Vin's eyes narrowed in an unconscious impersonation of his father, and his face drew in to a slight scowl.

'You ain't a nurse. You made Chris think you so, but ya ain't, and I wanna go back to Chris.'

The rocking stopped and the man cocked his head to one side, staring at his new friend, making Vin push further back in uncertainty.

'You can't go back yet. We haven't played any games. And I'm a good nurse, I've got the dress up clothes and the list with the names on. That makes me a nurse. I know, I've been here forever. That's what nurses do; wear the clothes, give out the pills and tick the names on the list.'

But Vin was no longer listening. He'd heard grown-ups telling him things before, things that made him stay places he didn't want to be. And although Chris made him go to school, and to the doctors, and _here_, he did it because he loved him, and wanted him to be smart and healthy. He knew the difference. He might not be as good at reading or numbers as JD, and he might not know as many words as Uncle Ezra, but he didn't need to know those things here. All he needed to know was that this was no nurse, and Chris did not bring him to play with this grown up. And last but not least, Vin didn't like him. Not one bit.

'No.'

The man uncurled, hanging his legs off the bed and leaning forward, locked his arms behind him, gripping the sheets in both fists.

'No, you, you can't say that. You have to play with me, I found you, I brought you here. We have to play now.'

The scowl that had been threatening was no longer just a hint. Spreading fully across the small face, curls bouncing as he shook his head, his brows drew down in angry defiance as Vin crossed his arms in front of him.

'No. I wanna go back.'

Staring at each other in frozen animosity, both man and boy could feel the situation flying out of control. But whereas the child was more than willing to walk away from it, the man was unable to forego his treasure, the thing he had sought for so long.

Moving from bed to floor with startling speed, he gripped Vin around the wrist and pulled him in to the centre of the room, tugging with bruising force and ignoring the yelps of pain the hold elicited.

'You aren't any good! You were supposed to be quiet and play with me, be my friend! I found you, I came back for you, I could have had the smaller boy, but you were supposed to be the one, the one to stay! Why are you being bad now? Why are you no good?'

All defiance had leaked from Vin at the first touch from the man shaking him, and blind panic swept over him like a blanket. Thrashing his head and yanking his arms to get away from his captor, he tried to shout out, crying for Chris, Buck, for help, for anyone. But the noises were cut short as he was propelled towards the cupboard in the corner of the room.

Seeing his intended destination, Vin lost all breath and dug in his heels, eyes wide and fingers clawing in to the arms that seemed to be everywhere, herding him closer to the dark doorway.

'You are no good, you weren't supposed to be like this. I'm in charge; you have to do what I want. I let you pick the game, but you wouldn't, now you have to do what I want-'

With one final thrust, he pushed his small captive in to the closet, slamming the door with all his strength. Desperate, Vin jammed his foot outwards, and rather than shutting with a crash as expected, the door clattered off the small limb with a resounding crack. But far from being troubled, the man took advantage of Vin's natural reaction, which was to pull the injured ankle towards himself and cradle his leg within his arms. With no further obstructions to bar his way, the man now pushed the door shut and sank down with his back to it, dragging his fingers in random circles over the floor.

Humming to himself, he listened to the frantic panting from inside the closet and began to whisper.

And on the other side, Vin curled up, his hands clutching his injured foot, as he tried to block out the words drifting through the wood.

'You won't do. No, no, no, no good at all. Little boys like you shouldn't be here. You aren't who I want, you aren't any good. You just won't do. Won't do at all.'

To be continued.


	6. Doors That Shelter, Doors That Hide

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 6

He could not hear the man's voice anymore. It had been droning on for what seemed like hours, but even if it was still going, Vin was no longer listening. His ankle was throbbing, he couldn't catch his breath and his chest ached with more than just desperate pants.

He wanted, no _needed_ Chris; he hadn't been this far from him without his consent before, and even though they hadn't been together from the start, Vin could no longer imagine his life away from his new father.

But how could Chris find him when even _he_ didn't know where he was? He knew the walls had changed colour, and that this was probably the strange man's bedroom, but why would he be living in the hospital anyway? And he said he'd been here forever; did that mean he would never go out again? That he would just stay on the other side of the door for the rest of forever, telling Vin how bad he was, that he 'won't do', over and over and over...

Rubbing a clenched fist over his eyes, he scrubbed away the tears there and suddenly lashed out with his good foot, striking the door with a desperate force. But just as that outburst gave him some sort of comfort, the next he was back, shrinking away from the exit once more, as the man on the other side began hammering with fists and feet, laughing at the new game.

'It's like drums! Indian drums, do you want to play cowboys and Indians, Vin?!'

This was too much for the quiet boy, and he lashed out again, even through his terror. Although he was used to being able to read people, Vin was lost with this man, and each second made him less sure of himself. But he no longer cared if he couldn't guess what this man's next move was going to be. He wasn't going to play cowboys with this grown-up. Not now, not ever.

'Chris calls me cowboy, not you! You ain't got no right, you don't say that, ya hear? You don't get to say that!'

The sudden silence had the boy clutching at the clothes hanging above him, and unconsciously leaning forward for some warning as to the inevitable reaction. But rather than the outburst that he expected, there was a low keening sound, and a slight scratching, as though the man could not remember how to open the door. Vin had seen cats do the same thing on television, scratching up at handles in an attempt to get in or out. But it had never been scary before.

Sucking in a huge breath, he held the air in his lungs until his chest screamed with the need to exhale, and then repeated the action, sure that if he breathed too loud or too often, he would miss the forewarning of the man's next move. But nothing came, and Vin started to breathe steadily again, slow and shallow, his heartbeat rattling inside his head.

Then the voice was back, slick and creeping, and the boy felt fresh tears streak over white cheeks as all hopes of the man having left him behind crumbled once more.

'You have not been a very good friend to me, Vin. I don't think I want to play with you. You'll just have to stay there now.'

Shaking his head and burying his face in to one of the hanging garments, Vin blocked out the words and began to rock - back and forth, back and forth - the motion drowning out all other sensory input.

And whilst the dark remained a fresh horror for the boy, he suddenly realised that being alone in the dark was far better than being in those yellow halls with the man sitting outside the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Where the hell is he, Ezra?!'

When the team had split at the beginning of their search, Ezra P. Standish had been rather pleased with the selection. One father with one uncle, thereby spreading the emotional fallout rather more evenly than if, say, Buck and Chris had been together. Certainly not that Ezra or Josiah loved the boys any less, but they did have a certain distance, an ability to, to rationalise, in a situation such as this, that the newly adoptive fathers did not.

However, for a man that prided himself on thinking, analysing and choosing the best solutions to immediate problems, Ezra realised that his initial thoughts in this instance had been unforgivably naive.

As in the first instance, the terror ripping through him at the thought of one of his nephews lost within a _hospital_ of all places, and with a man who had intentionally targeted him, was quite unlike anything he had ever felt before. The distance he had imagined was simply gone; dispersed along with any of the disassociation techniques he had ever been taught, and leaving him sinking in a flood of irrepressible fears.

And if that was not enough to shake Ezra's confidence in his own stability, there was another notion he had not recognised. In teaming one uncle with one father, the result was always going to be that someone was stuck with Chris. Not ideal for Ezra on the best of days; traumatic situations seemed to place the undercover agent firmly in the firing line for a stressed Larabee, and his penchant for cutting sarcasm did not work well with his supervisor's often dark moods. But in this circumstance, however, he was thrown hideously out of his comfort zone. This was not the normal venting that got both men through the day. Ezra was used to his team leader's verbal shots and unflinching stares. The tirades that he endured were typical of his work environment, and, truth be told, he even instigated them at times, simply to make sure that everything was as it should be in the office. But, this, however, was different. This, was not business as usual. This, this was...

This was gut-wrenching, heart-rending, soul-searing pleading that was reducing Ezra to a useless, quivering wreck, and the sooner he caught the bastard who had taken his nephew and reduced him to the same state, the better he would feel.

So it was he found himself digging perfectly manicured nails in to his palms, and lowering his head, simply so he wouldn't have to meet those desperate eyes again. He knew they were there, he knew that his were just the same. But actually seeing them once more would have torn him in two, and God alone knew that Chris did not have the time nor the inclination at that point to do anything but find Vin, even if that meant leaving one of his men weeping on the floor in foetal position, tears running in to the sleeve of his Ralph Lauren shirt.

Heaving a deep breath, he called upon all of the training that he had ever endured – at the hands of the CIA, ATF and, most importantly of all, his mother – and plastered on his game face.

'That, Mr Larabee is what we are about to ascertain.'

Rounding a corner in to a yellow painted hall, Ezra frowned at the stark attempts to force light and joyous tones in to the decor. And whilst the children's ward was filled with the same colour with pleasant enough results, here it simply looked empty and forlorn, clashing with the pale blues and giving the corridor the look of hopelessness, of resignation.

'Dear Lord, this is the psych ward? One would certainly leave here with some problems had they not existed upon admittance.'

This drew a startled look from Larabee just as Ezra realised that he spoken the words out loud.

'I'm not interested in the walls, Ezra. I just need-'

'I realise that Mr Larabee. And I apologise. It simply, well, it slipped out. I had been thinking of the children's ward-'

Shaking his head at the stumbled apology, Chris raised his hand, striding instead to the reception desk which appeared at the next juncture.

'I know Ez, I know.' Turning in the same motion to the harried looking nurse on duty, he gripped the desk top and leaned forward, drawing the woman's attention away from a tray of pills laid out meticulously before her and speaking in low, hurried tones.

'My son was taken from the emergency rooms by a man dressed in nurse's scrubs. He had pale eyes and hair, kind of distracted looking. My son, Vin, is seven years old and has sandy hair, curly to his shoulders. He's wearing-'

A hand cut off his description and Ezra almost cringed at the inadvisable gesture. The audacity of this woman not only set his teeth on edge, it made him almost fearful for her safety.

'I haven't seen him, and no one has been in or out of here all day. Now if you'll excuse me-'

The temperature dropped at least ten degrees and Ezra could feel his own blood begin to race; whether Chris would physically damage the woman he was not certain, but the odds were not in her favour. The adrenaline did have some use however, as it spurred Ezra in to action before his internal wager could be decided one way or the other.

Placing a firm hand on Chris's shoulder as he made to lean further in to the nurse's station, Ezra took a step forward, effectively placing himself between the two.

'If you will forgive me, madam, my friend and I are anxious to ascertain the child's whereabouts. Whilst I can see that you are otherwise engaged, I wonder if we could commence our own sweep of the area, just to ensure that our wayward charge is not secreted somewhere on this floor?'

Looking up at last, the nurse's uninterested eyes suddenly seemed to recognise the precariousness of her situation. Glancing at Chris's darkening face, then at the man who seemingly held the key to her salvation, she nevertheless tried to assert herself once more, even in the face of the blond haired man's rage.

'You can't go in to the rooms; the patients in this ward are here for a reason. They all have psychiatric problems, problems that will not be helped by having you two stomp about all over their private space.'

Shaking his head ruefully, Ezra was not in the slightest bit surprised when he saw a slow smile cross Chris's face, nor was he taken aback as the man spun away from the desk and back to shout Vin's name, walking to each door and flinging it open to check on the occupant.

'Vin!? Are you here pard? Vin!'

The nurse however, had not had the experience of working with Chris Larabee, and seemed to take offence to his actions. But neither was Ezra unlearned in the techniques of diversion and negotiation when it came to buying time for his leader's fits of anti-social behaviour. Or at least, running interference until Chris's idea of public relations had run its course.

Standing in the small gap which allowed the nurse to slip in and out from behind the desk, Ezra leaned forward and rested his chin on one fist. Grinning toothily, he simply pushed all his weight against the hinged countertop, stopping all attempts to lift it or escape from underneath, and, foregoing any attempts at sweet-talking the woman, shrugged his shoulders.

'He did ask nicely.'

To be continued.


	7. Search and Rescue and Run

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

**A/N: For AJ, as I think she'd prefer this to a reply to her review! (Commence arm rippage...)**

Chapter 7

Vin felt rather than heard the absence of noise when the man against the door stopped talking. It had been a constant for what seemed like days, and his tears had long ago dried up, leaving only a desolation that he had forgotten all about through his days at the Larabee-Wilmington ranch. But when the voice stopped, his ears pricked and the close air in the closet seemed to electrify. It was almost as if there was something there, something coming closer...

'Vin?!'

The boy did not even feel the pain as he jumped to his feet and started pummelling the door barring him from his father.

'Chris! Chris! I'm in here, please, Chris, he locked me in!'

Straining once more, he pressed his forehead in to the wood grain, his fingernails white with the pressure as he seemed to try and force his way through the solid pine. But the voice just kept on shouting, as though he had not spoken.

'Are you here pard? Vin!'

'Yes yes I'm here! In here Chris!'

He kicked out once more, and now the pain made itself known; as he sunk to the floor he yelped with the position change of his ankle, and leaned heavily against the stanchion.

'Chris!'

'Chris?'

The voice outside had grown more distant, and rather than his father's words, the next he could hear were in that same sliding tone that he had grown to hate so much.

'He doesn't want you either Vin, he just walked right on by. You're no good, so he's leaving you here with me.'

Warm tears streaked down Vin's face and he did not bother to wipe them away. In his small dark world, with his father's voice disappearing in to the distance, they were the only warmth he could remember.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'This has gone on quite long enough!'

The nurse's hand came down heavily on the alarm button, and moments later two burly security guards rushed in to the hall way. Looking as though they were prepared for a mass breakout, Ezra thought they looked mildly disappointed and even slightly bemused by the single man tearing doors open and calling out sporadically.

'Don't mind Mr Larabee, gentlemen, he'll only be a moment.'

Their attention switching between the red faced nurse and the strategically positioned undercover agent, they seemed dumbstruck until a near screech emerged from the nurse's thin-lipped mouth.

'Why are you just standing there? Stop that man from disturbing this entire wing!'

On a normal day, Ezra would have sympathised with the woman and the patients on the ward itself. They had been admitted to a place where someone, if not themselves, had hoped they could be helped, and in the mean time, know true rest and peaceful solitude.

But today was not a normal day. Today was, in fact, the most terrifying in Ezra's recent memory, and if Chris wanted the time to hunt down his child, then he would certainly endeavour to give it to him. And if that meant his only duty was to stand back and watch while his intrepid leader laid both security guards out on the floor, then by God, he was going to do that, too.

So it was that minutes later, panting and swiping the back of his hand across his mouth, Chris returned to the reception desk minus two obstacles, and with a little of his rage vented.

'Are there any more rooms on this floor?'

The question was not so much a request for information as the single stop on a road to utter destruction, should the answer not seem to be forthcoming quickly enough. Finally, the nurse seemed to catch on.

'Th-there are two more, around the corner, down the yellow hallway. The one with the blue stripes. But they're our most stable patients, we don't keep them-'

She was left talking to the back of a dark shirt, and that only for a second as the angry father flew down the corridor.

Tipping an imaginary hat at the stricken woman, Ezra almost found it in his heart to pity her as the beginnings of wailing from several of the disturbed rooms started to gain pace and volume. But then he remembered the small boy whom she had dismissed, and the desperation in Chris's eyes. And remembered why he had little time for strangers.

'Apologies for the intrusion, madam. Enjoy your day.'

Then whirling away from the desk, he followed his friend down the corridor, stepping over the security guards as he passed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chris could not take much more of this. With each dead end and each tortuous second, he could feel his soul tear a little more. Not another child, not _this_ child, not Vin-

He passed the first doorway with disregard for any rules or privacy, and swung a foot at the handle, causing the door to crash inwards with a horrendous clatter.

'Vin?!'

Empty.

And the echo in the unfurnished room seemed to mock his frustration all the more.

'I don't believe that the door was locked, Mr Larabee.'

Spinning with an instinctive fist raised, Chris pulled himself to a halt mere inches from his undercover agent's face. To Ezra's credit, he had not flinched, but the disturbance that the man was feeling was quite clearly readable in his eyes. Chris was often passionate, and had many times acted without considering the consequences, especially when it came to those he cared about, but this, this was a Chris out of control. And they both knew it.

Dragging in a heaving breath, the blond leaned forward with his hands on his thighs, then straightened up to scrub his palms across an increasingly pale face. Reaching out a gentle hand, Ezra gripped his boss's shoulder, and met his gaze.

'We will find him Mr Larabee.'

With a resolute nod and a quick squeeze to the hand on his shoulder, Chris's attention was suddenly drawn to the emergence of the rest of his team, jogging up the hall towards them.

'Orthopaedics is clear, Chris, but Nate has some news you might wanna hear.'

The breathless Buck clattered to a halt and turned to their medic, obviously itching to have the information made widely known.

Chris, however, was still distracted.

'Nate? Where's JD? He's –'

'He's being fussed over by at least four members of the nursing staff and Raine, and isn't likely to be out of her sight for at least the next year if she has anythin' to say about it.' Gripping Chris's upper arm in his strong hand, he met his glare head on. 'But you gotta hear this now. We checked the CCTV footage from the waiting room, and one of the nurses recognised the man who took Vin. He's called Stephen something or other - the nurse couldn't remember what his surname was. But more importantly Chris, he's a patient in this ward. If he's taken Vin anywhere, it's here.'

Not waiting for anything further, Chris spun on his heel and took off down the corridor once more, skidding to a halt beside the last door. Glancing back at Ezra with a half smirk on his face, he reached out to test the handle first, but upon finding it locked, peered in through the small window instead.

There on the floor, pressed up against the cupboard door, was the same man who had taken JD, the same man who had convinced Buck to release his son's hand, the same man whom Chris had trusted with his child. There was the man Chris was going to end.

Rearing back with unparalleled rage, Chris hammered a boot in to the door handle, only to find himself lifted half off his feet as thick arms lifted him from behind.

'What the hell- Josiah! He's in there! That him, he's-'

The gentle voice did little to assuage the thrashing man, but the arms gave no quarter.

'Chris, he's not well. None of these people are, and you smashing your way in there isn't going to-'

'I don't give a damn! Get your hands off me or so help me-'

'Chris, come on now, just calm down-'

'Josiah, you'll break his ribs if you don't get him to settle-'

'Vin?! Vin!'

The sound of splintering wood and a terrified squeal cut through the ruckus like a knife.

Turning as one to look at the perpetrator of the destruction, each man was struck by the incongruity of the sight that greeted them. Brushing down his designer slacks, the man lifted his nose to his team mates and sniffed once.

'I do believe that the decision has now been made.'

Twisting violently, Chris found himself suddenly released, and far from pausing to thank his agent for his assistance, he pushed Ezra out of the way as he stormed in to the room. But to his surprise, rather than launching himself straight at the man now quivering beside the bed, he ran instead to the closet, and wrenching the door open, found himself buried in the grasp of a shaking, sobbing child.

Wrapping his arms around his boy, the man turned and left the room, walking at a hurried pace through corridors and hall ways, past the still groggy security guards and the irate nurse and down the stairwell, leading to the outside world. And only then, away from the smell of loss and death and walls that enclosed and stifled did Chris Larabee sink down against the brickwork, crumpled on the grass, and, face pressed deep in to his son's hair, break down and cry.

To be continued.


	8. Gambler, Heathen, Guard of the Heart

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 8

The silence that hung in the room was only tainted by the hitching, keening breaths of the man curled beside the bed, who was slowly dragging the top sheet towards himself, enveloping his head and chest in its cotton depths.

Buck shook his head, flexed his fists in an attempt to calm himself and turned to follow Chris, but a palm on his chest caused him to stop for a moment, meeting Josiah's eyes.

'No, brother Buck. I need you to look at this man first – really look, and then try to hold on to that hatred you've got burning in you right now – because when you see Chris, and he finally snaps out of that fog he's in, you're going to be the only one who can hold him back.'

Snorting violently, and hearing Ezra's similar reaction behind him, Buck scrubbed a hand over his face.

'You think he doesn't have that right Josiah? This nutcase takes his boy, terrifies him and locks him in the closet with God knows what plans for him, and you want Chris to turn the other cheek? Hell, you want _me_ to make him do that? You'll be damn lucky if the two of us ain't behind bars before the end of tonight.'

Now Nathan stepped forward and shook his head, brown eyes beseeching and understanding at the same time.

'And who's that gonna help, Buck? Them boys gonna need both of you after this, and beating on this fella ain't gonna put right none of the hurt caused here today.'

Another scoff let all the men present know Ezra's thoughts on the subject, but once more, he was ignored.

Josiah tried one last time, reaching out a gentle hand and gripping Buck's forearm with an almost pleading look on his face.

'Just look at him Buck. This ain't a man to hate or abuse; he's sick and scared and confused, and he needs psychiatric help, not the rough side of your hand. Please brother, for me, I would ask you-'

The dark haired man shook his head sharply and dragged his eyes away from the rocking form in the corner, growing increasingly irritated as his renowned sympathy began to kick in.

'Why the hell are you so bothered, 'Siah? Hell, Vin means something to you too, don't he? Least I thought he d-'

'You stop that sentence right there Buck, 'fore you say something you'll regret. You know I love those boys; and I'd do damned near anything for either one of them, but I know this kind of situation a whole lot better than you or Chris or anyone else here-'

The smooth voice of their undercover agent slipped in to the conversation, cutting both men to the quick.

'What he means, Mr Wilmington, is that his sister's maladies give him certain sympathies that elude the more hot-headed of our band of brothers here. And you must admit that if Mr Sanchez believes this man to be in need more of help than of hatred, then he does have the experience to make such a judgement.'

Lowering his head in embarrassment at having forgotten Josiah's past in the heat of their terrifying present, Buck patted the hand still resting on his arm.

'I'm sorry, Josiah. I know you mean well, and that you love the kids just as much as we do; I should never have said such things. But I know Chris is gonna need a hell of a good reason not to come back here and kick the ever-lovin' shi-'

'Ahem.'

The four men turned to see the nurse from the reception glaring at them, arms folded across her chest, and flanked by two new security guards, obviously having phoned for reinforcements.

'If you have recovered the child, gentlemen, I think you'll appreciate that I have a lot of cleaning up to do. These men will gladly escort you-'

She never finished her sentence. Startled at the sudden approach of the previously mischievous, smooth talking man who stalked towards her, she flinched as he met her gaze and growled in a dangerous southern tinged accent, causing her to take a halting step back.

'Madam, I have never in my life known such a cold and unfeeling woman as you. Had you been doing your job correctly in the first place, this man would not have been able to leave this floor. Had you shown any interest in our predicament, you could have informed us ten minutes earlier that this was the room where our faux-nurse was hiding out. And not only would you have saved yourself all of this _extra work_ as you call it, but we would have claimed back our missing child from his traumatic ordeal all the faster. As it is, now my friends and I are going to leave this god-forsaken department - via the _unlocked doors_ which are accessible by any person on this floor - and pay a visit to the hospital administrator, to whom we shall be addressing all of our multitudinous concerns. And this, madam, includes the staff and supervising prowess of the nurses of this department.'

Taking a stiff step back and heaving in a calming breath, Ezra then conjoured up one of his most wolfish smiles, baring his teeth at the pale woman in front of him.

'But you have a good day now, madam.'

Silenced by their friend's outburst, the rest of team seven looked on wide eyed as, apparently not quite finished, the man turned back to them.

'Now sirs, I am going to find Mr Larabee and our newly rescued Master Tanner. And as for that miscreant in there, I can say only this, Mr Sanchez. Your sister, as unwell as she may be, has never absconded with a child, locking him in the dark whilst his terrified father roams the corridors with desolation in his eyes. Had I had the same experiences as you, perhaps I too would be able to forgive that poor soul. But, I spent the greater part of this morning watching one of the strongest men I have ever had the honour of knowing fall apart as his family was once more taken away from him. And as long as I live, I will never be able to forget the pain etched across his face, nor the desperation in his cries.'

Tipping an imaginary hat to the gathered men, he then brushed off the front of his shirt and skirted round the still stunned nurse and bewildered security guards. He did pause, however to fire one last declaration out in to the cloying corridor.

'I have never claimed to be the most religious of men, Josiah. But if forgiving means putting those memories behind me, then I most assuredly am a heathen.'

The click of his expensive shoes echoed down the stagnant hallway, and the remainder of the team was left once more in that dreadful silence, broken only by the haunting whispers of the man now buried by his sheet.

'I only wanted a friend, he wouldn't be my friend...'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day had grown cold and Chris's tears had frozen inside him, the only evidence that they ever existed now soaking in to his son's tangled curls. Passersby – who had previously avoided the openly devastated man slumped against the wall – now physically walked around the father and son, leaving a wide radius, as if they had sensed the change in the temperature, and the reason for it. But Chris was paying no attention to those around him, rather concentrating all of his being on the boy huddled in his arms.

Plastered to his chest, Chris was steadying the child with his knees drawn up behind Vin, and had one hand rubbing the warm back, the other fingering the soft hair with purposefully soothing tugs. The boy's hands were fisted together, pressed between his and his father's chest, not yet touching Chris directly, but slowly absorbing the familiar warmth that accumulated between them.

'Vin? Vin, pard, can you talk to me? Just to tell me that you're alright, hey, buddy?'

The breath hitched once, but the head just buried further in to his father and the silence persisted.

Chris could barely bring himself to speak again; swallowing harshly and trying to work some saliva in to his arid mouth, he pressed his face in to the side of Vin's and whispered desperately.

'Please Vin, I know you're still scared, cowboy, but I need to know – I need – to, God, Vin, did he – did he hurt you, pard? Did he touch you?'

The small fingers twitched, and Chris could feel them as they took hold of his shirt. But there was still no answer.

'Vin, come on cowboy. If you're hurt I need to know – I swear I won't leave you alone. It'll just be us and Uncle Nathan, maybe Aunt Raine, okay? We won't let anyone else near you, I promise pard, I promise.'

The small body shifted slightly, and the fingers ran lightly over towards Chris's right arm. Reacting instantly, Chris moved to link his hand that of the roaming limb, and stroking his thumb over the cold fingers there, kept up his encouragement.

'It's alright Vin, you're doing good-'

The fingers tugged his father's down, down, and Chris felt his insides clench as they continued, but the relief he felt when they settled on Vin's ankle was utterly overwhelming.

Tilting his head back and huffing out an almost laughing sob, he returned his attention to the damaged limb and placed a gentle hand under the slightly swollen joint, kissing the damp hair beside his face as a small hiss emerged from the depths of his shirt.

'You hurt your ankle, Vin? Well, Uncle Nathan can fix that right up, alright bud? We'll just go find him and-'

The hand whipped back up to fix on to Chris's shirt, and pale skin pressed wetly against the damp shirt, which stuck to both chest and face as the boy shook his head.

'No, no, Vin. You aren't ever going to be alone pard, I'm not letting you go again. Never again, you hear me? We're going to find Nate, and he'll fix your ankle, and then we're going home, together. Just you and me, and Buck and JD, just us cowboy, just us.'

Levering himself to his feet with some difficulty, Chris balanced himself against the wall and pushed upwards, wincing as his knees cracked in protest against the prolonged abuse. Cradling his boy against him, he turned back to the hospital entrance, and not allowing himself anytime to reconsider, marched forward towards the gaping maw of a door, and the shadowed interior.

Catching his eye as he passed, he nodded his head at his undercover agent, who had taken up a guard position just beyond Chris's original line of sight. The silent thanks for keeping watch but knowing enough not to interfere flashed between the two, and Ezra ducked his head, accepting the gratitude but not the unspoken _I don't know how to thank you enough_.

For the relieved uncle, the sight of the man and boy reunited was more than adequate. And for his family, he would be willing to do a whole lot more.

To be continued.


	9. Finding the Strength to Trust

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 9

The day had not progressed well. In fact, Ezra noted, since retrieving their missing boy some fifty minutes before, and then witnessing Chris's return some time later, little had gone smoothly. He had watched with a raised eyebrow as Chris had approached Nathan, explaining in short, soft words where Vin was injured, and who he wanted to attend him. Ezra had then settled back in his chair as various doctors – paediatric, radiography and the fluttering, twittering, desperate hospital administrator – were in turn glared at, then glowered at, then incontrovertibly told to _back off_. He took great pleasure in saluting each one as they filed from the small room the men had co-opted, and waited in anticipation for the next round of do-gooders to crawl out of the woodwork.

For once, Ezra was thrilled to see Larabee's irascible nature, even if he would have to admit that it was mainly due to the fact that it was not being aimed at _him_ for a change.

But, as time went on, even he could see the problems arising. No matter how much he understood Chris's need to keep his son close, Vin _was_ injured, and needed medical attention. And although he proclaimed to want Nathan and Raine to assess and help the child, he was yet to disentangle the arms from around his neck, or the legs from around his waist, and had not, so far as Ezra had seen, stopped pacing in all the time he had been back inside the hospital. The rocking gait had not seemed to register in the concerned father's mind, and was likely a comfort to the boy in his arms, but it made it twice as difficult for Nathan to actually see Vin, or take a look at his ankle.

'Chris, would you hold still for two minutes? I need to take a look-'

'Chris, honey, could you sit down please? We just want to-'

'Hey, buddy, how about you let me hold Vin for a minute while you-'

Even someone who had never met Larabee before today could have predicted his reaction to Buck's offer.

Spinning so that his back was against the wall and he had each of his team and Raine in his sights, he flattened one hand against the back of Vin's head and growled low and soft. Menacing.

'No one takes him from me, not even you, Buck. He's mine, my boy and I'll be damned if...'

His words died off as his eyes went wide, and rather than focusing on the adults before him, he redirected his senses back towards the child he clutched so tightly to his chest.

The rest of the room fell silent, and all felt their throats constrict and stomachs plunge at the near undetectable hitches of breath resonating out from the dark cloth of Chris's shirt. And Ezra knew that they had missed the vital point of their team's work – making Vin feel safe and secure.

And he knew Chris realised it too, as he stormed past his friends and out, through the door, in to the hallway, where it was just him and his son.

'...Aw, hell.'

For once, Ezra had to agree.

'Indeed Mr Wilmington. Indeed.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This had gotten beyond the point where Chris could think straight. But the noiseless sobs of the person who meant most to him in life had driven him beyond any semblance of civility, and if he hadn't left the room when he had, he would have done something he could not have taken back.

Still, that had been a secondary consideration as he had begun moving, as the arms wrapped around him held on tighter, and small fingers gripped the short hairs at the back of his neck, trying to get a more secure hold on the man who kept him safe. Vin had stopped crying as his father had thrust himself from the room, but still had not spoken a word, and wound around Chris with little intention of letting go.

Chris knew that this was another setback for his wary child – yet another obstacle for their family to overcome – but he had also come to trust in the bond the two shared, the innate comfort that they took from the others presence. It would be that closeness that would help his boy, that attachment that would pull them through. And as much as his friends wanted to help, and as much as they both appreciated the constant unquestioned support available to them, he knew that it was him that kept Vin calm, he that Vin needed to hold close, his presence that Vin had to relax in to in order to steady himself once more.

Stroking and kissing the damp, sweaty hair, threading gentle fingers through rough curls and kneading palms in to the tense shoulder muscles, he just carried the small boy around in his encircling arms and whispered to him, ignoring the odd looks and pitying expressions he could see on passersby.

'Ssh pard, you're alright Vin. You're alright now, we're not gonna shout anymore. S'just me an' you buddy, just me an' you.'

The fingers grew slower in their repeated motions, the tiny nails just caressing Chris's neck rather than their previous scrabbling, and the knees that had been grinding in to his hips grew lax as the child leaned further in to the arm looped beneath his thighs.

'I'm here son, I'm here. Just relax, Cowboy. I'm here.'

The soft, cold nose buried itself in to the solid warmth of his father's neck, and Chris felt a tiny sigh ripple across his face; the simple motion acting as a trigger - as though that easy touch was all it took - bringing his boy back from the depths of his self-imposed isolation.

Shifting from their achingly tight grip of his neck, the two grasping hands unlocked slowly, one dragging softly down his shoulder to wind itself in to his shirt as the small form in his arms flattened himself against the black clad chest.

Heaving a ragged breath and turning his face in to the wind-tangled hair, Chris raised one hand to the back of his son's head and laced his fingers through the mass of floppy curls.

_Lord, to have never smelt his hair again, or felt his arms around my neck... For those sighs to go unheard and unchecked... I couldn't... I know I couldn't..._

A scuff of a shoe in the corridor behind him dragged Chris back from any further fears.

'Chris, buddy? You alright there pard? You're, er, lookin' a mite pale. You want I should take Vin, let you sit down-'

'No!'

The simultaneous response from both father and son had Buck taking a step back, hands raised. He shouldn't have asked, really, not after the scene in the other room, but he couldn't help himself. Vin was his son too, lived as if Buck were his second father, and he longed to hold the boy. But, he also knew that desperate look in Chris's eyes. And he couldn't hurt the man any more. Still, he couldn't let Chris hurt himself either, and he saw the situation spiralling out of control. 

_Time to reassert some sense in to the madness of this morning._

Lowering his voice and his face in a purposefully non-threatening stance, the tall man nevertheless met Chris' fierce gaze with a steady look of his own. He couldn't help but notice the white knuckles on both man and boy, as each strove to be as close to the other as physics would allow.

'Now Chris, pal, you know there ain't no one gonna take Vin from you, pard. But me and the boys, well, we're worried 'bout you both, and just wanna make sure you're alright.'

Later, Chris would recognise and appreciate Buck's ATF honed negotiation techniques for what they were. And if he could have drawn a proper breath with a seven year old almost moulded to his throat, the oxygen may well have swayed him to clearer thinking and recognition of Buck's suggestion. But at that moment, in that time, he had nothing to work with other than the still very present terror that his child was once more in danger of being taken from him – and he reacted accordingly.

Placing his strong hand protectively over the back of Vin's head, he took two steps back, placing himself against the magnolia coloured wall and snarled.

'You can just stay the Hell away from us Buck. He's been gone for almost an hour and if you think I'm gonna let you or anybody else take him from me again, you oughta check yourself in here - get your head examined. There's no chance on God's green earth I'm letting him go, so you can just march back to Nate or whoever it was that sent you down here and tell him to stick his goddamn interfering where the sun don't shine.'

Silence reigned as Buck swung between sympathetic understanding for a fearful father and unrepressed fury at the ungratefulness of his long time friend. Yet although he knew he'd kill to keep JD safe, and a little bit of rudeness was not completely unexpected from an overtaxed Chris Larabee at the best of times, in the end, his ingrained sense of decency won out.

'Oh yeah Chris, that's a great way to treat your friends, your team. Not to worry that we've spent the last sixty minutes on the same rollercoaster as you, desperate to find that boy and bring him home safe to his daddy. Ignore the fact that none of us has stopped to breathe in case we missed something vital – what we really want now is to see you take that boy once we finally get him back, and terrify him even more by alienatin' the only family he's got. You take a look at that boy, Chris, and tell me he ain't suffering from this now just as much as all the stuff of the last few hours.'

Seeing Vin press his face further into Larabee's neck and watching Chris automatically shift his hold to rub lightly over the tangled hair, Buck's resolve weakened. Lowering his voice, he took a slow step forward, and reached a hand out to touch the tense little back in front of him.

'We just want to get you both back, Chris. You been gone same as Vin, and we just want our family back together. Come on pard, let's get this done so we can go home, huh?'

Buck's hand began to move in a gentle sweeping motion over Vin's shoulder blades, and keeping the motion steady and light, he smiled as he watched the small face emerge enough to show blue eyes at half mast, before disappearing again beneath hair and Chris' black collar. Burrowing under, the child pushed his nose deep in to the fabric, took a deep breath, and surrounded by the scent of cologne, cloth and Chris, fell in to a contented doze.

His father, however, had no such means of escape. His scattered thoughts, running a mile a minute, were swirling through his head, conflicting and frustrating him exponentially as the seconds ticked by.

'Someone took him Buck. Walked in here, _here_, where he's supposed to be safe, and took him. God, took him virtually out of my arms and I let it happen. I was out there in the goddamn waiting room, while that freak walked away with my boy. I can't – I, I just couldn't...'

Speechless and quaking – with fear, emotional exhaustion or rage, or quite possibly a combination of all three, Buck was not entirely sure – Chris suddenly met his old friend's eyes and began searching there for answers.

'How am I supposed to take him back in there, Buck? They lost him once, _I_ lost him. I can't go through this again – _ever_. I won't.'

For all the uncertainty and doubt in the past few hours, Buck knew that this was, at least, an unequivocal fact. Losing Vin would kill Chris as surely as a sniper's bullet, and by God, it would be a thousand times more painful.

To be continued.


	10. Believing in their Boys

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 10

The room was quiet when Chris walked back in, and at the nods of support from his gathered friends, he took a deep breath. Moving to sit tentatively on the soft chair, he noted the shift in the furniture since he was last in the room. Purposely dragged towards the back wall by Josiah as he had seen the man and boy approach, the cushioned seat called out to the worn man.

Chris knew it had been moved – _hell, even as strung out as I am I can't help but notice all the details in a room. Heh, shame I didn't pay more attention to the people I let near my kid though, huh Vin?_ – but recognised the new position not only placed all of his men between Vin and anybody that may come through the door, it was also settled directly underneath the lamp, making for ease of examination when Chris finally gave the go-ahead. _And you know this has to be done. Just keep a tight hold, and think of something else. He's safe, you're here, it's just Nate. Easy, it's easy –_

'Nate, he said his ankle is hurting him, but that, that...' The expletives caught in his throat as the warmth of his son automatically stopped them from spilling out, even when the child was, to all intents and purposes, asleep. 'That _man_ didn't hurt him anywhere else. Didn't touch him, I mean.'

The relief that swept around the room at that revelation was painful in its release, and Chris once again recognised how self-centred his actions had been. _Of course they'd have wanted to – no, _needed_ – to know... God, Larabee, they've worked as many cases as you, they'll have had the same thoughts and fears, and you ran off, leaving them high and dry, clueless, without even having the decency to tell them something like that first._

Chris's self-deprecation was cut short by a soft, 'Are you sure Chris? I mean, did Vin actually say that?'

Rolling a tired glare over to his medic, Chris clenched his eyes shut and pushed away the irritation that had immediately welled up at the questioning of his assessment of _his_ child. But then again, the point was a fair one.

'No, Nate, he didn't say it. Just pointed at what was hurting him, and shook his head when I asked if that guy had touched him anywhere else. But he isn't saying much of anything at the minute, either, so we'll have to wait to get the full picture.'

Clearing his throat, Nathan bent down on one knee before the tired father and pursed his lips with a resigned expression.

'We - well, Chris - I mean, I, we - the doctors, they could do an examination. You know, check-'

The blond man was already shaking his head, and raised a firm hand when it seemed Nathan was about to object.

'No, I'm not putting him through that, Nate. If something happened, then it'll come out on its own terms, but I don't think that it did. Honestly, I can read Vin, and he was shook up, but he wouldn't have come to me so readily if _that_ had happened. We all know his past, and he's not exactly innocent about that kind of stuff going on – and as much as that galls me and makes me want to put my fist through someone's face – what it really means is that when he says that man just hurt his ankle, he means just that.'

Looking hard at his friend's face for a good long minute, Nathan finally sighed then nodded, patting the knee in front of him and shuffling further towards the pair.

'Well, let's get that ankle checked out then, shall we?'

Reaching up, his large, gentle hands brushed once over the back of the half-hidden head, and down one slim arm, then waited until Chris shifted the boy - manoeuvring the lax form in to a sideways position across his lap – then tucking his arms around him and layering his own over his boy's. Each man watched with trepidation as the black man gently pressed and pushed on the indicated ankle, and each man likewise flinched as the child did. Laughing softly, Nathan shook his head. He did not need to look to know that any pain that Vin suffered was reflected evenly in his uncles and adopted fathers, and that anyone of them would take it from him if they could.

Lifting the limb up to rest on the arm of the chair, Nate loosened the straps on the complex boots the boy was wearing, and with infinite care, eased it off the swelling limb. He saw Chris's eyes staring at his hands, and knew that the man was now cursing buying the intricate footwear for his son. The leather - which had seemed so perfect to a child who longed to be a real cowboy - was fine for working in the stable and pretending to rustle cattle in the lower fields, but at that moment, all it did was cause the boy more misery and Nathan more work. With a final tug, the boot slid free and fell to the floor, abandoned.

Now Vin reacted, and he pulled himself away from the pain, curling in to Chris and grabbing the hairs at the back of his father's neck in a clasping hold.

Shocked by both the sudden movement and the sensation of developing an instantaneous bald spot, Chris nevertheless reacted with skill, tucking the scared boy deeper in to his embrace whilst simultaneously coaxing the injured ankle back out towards Nathan's waiting hands.

'It's alright Vin, s'just Uncle Nathan. He's gonna fix up your foot Cowboy, then we can get out of here, 'kay?'

The shuddering breaths continued for another few seconds then the damp head nodded against Chris' chest, making the rest of the room's occupants smile.

Taking his chance, and recognising that Chris was in control - at least for the moment - Buck pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and slipped quietly out of the room. He had heard Raine return some time earlier, and would only later come to fully recognise the woman's restraint and considerable skills by resisting not just her own love for Vin, but also JD's substantial charms in order to give the small family some time to pull themselves together. That was proving to be a difficult task in and of itself, and that was before unleashing the noisiest of their members in to the still raw atmosphere of the room. Buck understood her decision to wait, and knew that Chris and himself definitely appreciated it.

Now, however, Buck needed his boy back in his arms; and although his child had been returned to him unharmed from the man who had taken Vin – and he was not at all certain what to think about _that_ yet – he could not stop his hands from shaking as he turned from the doorway to find those huge hazel eyes staring up at him.

The tiny mouth was quivering in place, and although he held tightly to his Aunt's hand, his body screamed insecurity and fear. Sweeping the boy up in one smooth movement, Buck buried his face against JD's, closing his eyes and just holding the child close as they both stood completely silent in the colourless corridor. Feeling a light squeeze on his arm, Buck opened his eyes just in time to see Raine's smiling, teary gaze before she whispered, 'You take good care of them boys, Buck. I'll see you in a while.'

Catching hold of that hand before she pulled away, Buck raised it to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers with infinite gratitude in his eyes, smiling at the blush which crossed her cheeks.

'Thank _you_, pretty lady, for taking care of my boy.'

Then she was off and away, and Buck focused his attention on JD only to find him arched back in his arms, staring straight in to his eyes.

'You find Vin, Buck?'

A huffing laugh bubbled out of the big man's chest and he squeezed the boy tighter. _Son, you surely know how to get to the heart of the matter. And finding Vin, well, that's put the heart right back in to our family. And God, I love both you boys, but you'll never know how glad I am that you..._ Buck knew that if he finished that thought, he could never look Chris in the eye again, so he scrunched his own tightly shut and pushed away all thoughts of ifs and could haves.

Bending his head forward so that that his nose touched JD's, he nuzzled the tiny face and grinned as a shrill laugh and two tiny hands landed against his cheeks. His head held still by the small fingers, Buck met his boy's gaze and with as much sincerity as he could muster, told his son what he had been desperate to say from the moment they had lost Vin.

'Yeah, we got him JD. We got him, and he's just fine, son.'

To be continued.


	11. The Art of Balancing

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Ugh, apologies for the wait - a busy, busy week. Oh, and I did steal a line from one of the episodes in this chapter, but I couldn't resist. It's just so... Josiah!

Chapter 11

How quickly the atmosphere could change around their little family, Josiah observed silently. Leaning back in the corner of the room, he had watched as Chris and Vin had sat, wrapped around each other, whilst Nathan and then Raine applied their individual prognosis and treatment to Vin's injury. The child had since been bathed in quiet affection and steadfast support as his Aunt and Uncle bound his foot with thick bandages and covered with an icepack obviously retrieved from the paediatrics wing, covered as it was in lions and snakes of vibrant colours which would never have been seen in the wild.

The fright of the day and the warm presence holding him close had combined to lull Vin in to a deep sleep before the final dressing was even in place, and when Nathan approached looking apologetic, brandishing a needle, Josiah knew the hesitation was for Chris' sake only. The boy lying boneless in his arms would have no objections, and would most likely not feel a thing.

Still, the pause was enough to charge the air in the room as each man recognised one of the causes of all this trouble.

'Chris, I know you're not even considering this right now, but I think it's a good idea to get this over and done with. God knows the last thing Vin needs after this is to have to come back to get the immunizations that started all of this, but he does still need 'em. If we just-'

'Fine Nathan, just do it. But hurry up. I want this over as soon as possible and then we're going home.'

The curt reply made the team medic bristle slightly, and Josiah could see the irritation in his friend's face, but Nathan nevertheless 'just did it', and each man let out a sigh as Vin did not even twitch. Of course, that did not last long, as no periods of complete, unbroken relaxation were possible around the two small boys in their lives.

As the door reopened to admit Buck, Josiah could see the outcome of this reunion before it had even begun. Yet even as he reached to signal to Buck, Ezra, anyone who was closer to the child than he, JD opened his mouth.

'Vin!'

The high pitched shriek bounced off the walls in the small space, making each reverberation just as head-splitting as the first. While each of his uncles cringed, and Buck winced at the noise so close to his ear, Vin was up and scrabbling, jarred awake and not happy about it.

Trying desperately to calm the child in his arms, Chris succeeded in grabbing the lithe form, but not before the ankle had slipped from its perch on the arm of the chair and fell heavily to the floor.

Having heard no sound from the child in hours, Josiah was not the only one who felt some relief at the cry that emerged from Vin's lips, but the emotion only lasted a moment. Weeping openly at the pain and shock of such an awakening, Vin curled deeper in to his father's chest, gripping and clawing at the already soaked shirt as he tried to escape the place that continued to cause him so much misery.

'Chris, make 'em go 'way, make 'em... Don't like it, hurts, it's hurtin' Chris... Make it... Make 'em...'

The litany continued as the blond man rocked gently, stroking the curls and placing distraught kisses on top of the buried head.

And whilst that scene was taking place in one corner of the room, their other boy had no less of a reaction than his 'brother' had. Clamped to Buck's front, arms cinched tight around the big man's neck, all in the room could hear the sobbed ' 'M sorry! 'I'm sorry Buck! I didn't mean ta, I didn't mean it!' from a wailing JD.

Shaking his head at the instantaneous change in mood, Josiah decided that he could only help one group at a time. So, making his decision, bent as he approached Chris, and whispered soft and low, hoping his familiar storytelling voice would help Vin to accept his close proximity.

'Chris, we're all gonna give you guys a minute or two to get yourselves together. We'll just be out in the corridor, but I think Vin would appreciate some time alone with you, without us or JD scaring the bejeezus out of him anymore. You need anything, just give us a shout, alright?'

A large, gentle hand moved softly down the heaving back and slid to take Josiah's, as his boss and friend gripped his fingers tightly.

'Thanks Josiah. I, we'd appreciate that, huh Vin? Just until we catch our breath a little.'

Smiling softly, Josiah made to straighten up once more, and had to force himself to keep his hands away from his nephew, aching as they were to touch and comfort the scared child. But before he could complete the movement, Chris gripped his hand tighter and cocked his head towards the door.

'Could one of you ring Travis? There's no way I'm leaving Vin today, and I'm going to have to miss that meeting with him and the higher ups later. You can tell him what's gone on here, but only if he asks. I don't want to have to field a whole load of questions until I've got the answers straight in my own head, and that ain't gonna be for a while yet, 'Siah. Oh, and the school too. They're expecting the boys in this afternoon, and-'

'Chris, it's all in hand. What do you think we brought Ezra along for anyway?'

Caught off guard by the humour in the remark, Chris shifted his gaze to the southerner and caught a smirk and tip of the head from his undercover agent before Ezra left the room, waving his mobile phone over his shoulder.

Looking back to Josiah, he tightened his grip once more, then returned his hand to the back of Vin's head, threading his fingers in to the thick hair.

'Thanks, Josiah. And tell Ezra, well, just tell him that, aw, he- heck. Tell him thanks too.'

Eyes crinkling at the stammered gratitude when it came to Standish, Josiah left the room with the feeling that something had just clicked back into place. And as loud and painful for those involved as it had been, JD was probably the cause of this return to normality.

It would only have reinforced the strangeness of the situation had JD been calm and concerned - and truthfully, if Larabee had been forthright in thanking Ezra, Josiah knew that their little world would quite possibly have spun off its axis.

Now, with a noisy, overzealous JD; Vin talking once more, even if it had not been the greatest of speeches from the tired child; a prickly Chris doling out muttered thanks; and finally a smart-ass Ezra talking the ear off some school secretary, he felt able to let out a deep sigh.

Settling himself in a hard, plastic chair beside a cooing Buck and a hovering Nathan, he smiled again, and glanced upwards, shooting a prayer of thanks to the skies.

Yep, the atmosphere could certainly change on a whim around their family. But Josiah wasn't worried anymore. As strange as it may have seemed to anyone else, he knew his brothers and his nephews would come through this trial just as they had all the others before, and all the ones that would undoubtedly follow.

They'd got their balance back.

To be continued.


	12. For the Sake of the Children

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Chapter 12

The silence in the room was a balm to Chris, and the beating of his child's heart against his own was slowly bringing the world back in to focus. The red haze which had formed upon the discovery of Vin's disappearance, and then the buzzing, insular ringing in his ears that had tuned out all but the voice and breathing of the boy now safely returned to his arms had now served its purpose.

With the click of the door handle signalling the exit of his team, he felt all of the tension that the small body had been collecting over the course of the morning flood away, and the whimpers that had been buried in the front of his shirt faded to hiccups, then to sighs, and finally a snuffling, exhausted huff that left his boy limp and bedraggled across his chest.

Smiling with the utter warmth that the sounds evoked in him, Chris shifted to let Vin settle into the support of one arm, curling around the slight frame with infinite care, yet solid enough to let the child know that he wasn't going anywhere.

'We getting there now, cowboy?'

Keeping one palm resting on a damp cheek, he swiped his thumb over a closed eyelid, capturing the last of his son's tears and wiping them away. The movement got the hoped for response, as the blue that he had longed for over the events of the morning revealed themselves at last.

'Hey there, pard. How you feeling?'

The tired eyes gave little away, other than the lingering fear and desperate trust he felt for the man holding him. But although they had never needed words, Chris found himself straining to hear every sound that his child made – wanting that husky Texan drawl to shine through, to hear words that would bring his boy back to the here and now.

'Vin, buddy, you awake? Tell me if you're hurting, cowboy, and we'll get Uncle Nathan back in here. Now we're just waiting for your uncles to sort some things out, and then we can go. Is that alright?'

The end of the question rose slightly, wilfully, urging a response, any response.

But the child was not so easily led, and Chris sighed with frustration.

'Can you say something, pard? I'm getting a little worried here that you've lost your voice. Or maybe you've forgotten how to speak? Am I getting closer? Hmm, maybe you're not sure where we are – this isn't the library, cowboy, you can talk here if you like.'

The small smile that pulled at the corners of the solemn mouth was enough for Chris, and caused his heart to leap with simple, outright pleasure, but he couldn't seem to stop talking. Neither of them was truly verbose at the best of times, and Chris couldn't explain it, but he had sensed his boy withdrawing from their tender trust, and he forged onwards, desperate to bridge the gap.

'Oh, so you know where you are, huh? Well, I suppose you know who's outside then, too, do you? How we've got everybody waiting just for you?'

The tiny nod and move to curl further in towards Chris's chest had the father lowering his head, shielding his eyes from any potential onlookers. Even alone in the room, Chris could not share the bond between him and his boy, and would defend it with everything he had. That care extended even when there was no one but them around. The shimmering of his vision was not for anyone else to see, and he'd be damned if he'd share it with anyone other than the child it was meant for.

His next words were a whisper, and he closed his arms further, drawing Vin up and hooking one beneath the boy's torso, pulling them chest to chest and tucking his face in to the thoroughly mussed hair.

'And you know how much we love you, too, I suppose?'

A deep breath and the wrapping of arms around his neck was Chris's only answer, yet it was enough. Just holding his boy was enough.

'And you know how much I love you, huh, cowboy?'

The head settled in to the dip in his shoulder, and Chris could feel the warm breath against his neck. And the words, when they came, seemed to burn with their honesty, branding themselves against his mind and finally, finally convincing him that his Vin was back in his arms.

'Mm hmm. Reck'n I know.'

The blond let out a bark of a laugh, and pressing a kiss to the side of the sleepy face, eased himself to his feet, and, supporting Vin's injured leg by resting it along his forearm, made his way to the door, out to where their family was waiting.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After that, there were no more delays. As Ezra had been entrusted with ensuring that the hospital and administrator rued the day they were set upon God's green earth, Chris had no worries as to whether he needed to stay and deliver - _in person_ - his promise of consequences to those who had failed his child so badly.

His undercover agent had, however, caught his eye on the way out of the hospital, and Chris had winced as the words, 'meeting', 'Travis', 'FBI' and 'unavoidable' spilled from the southerner's mouth. He nodded succinctly and led the way back to the Ram, sliding into the back seat, maintaining his hold on his son. Each member of Team Seven had watched as the father had taken up his chair, and as Buck fastened a quiet JD in, they still did not move. The silent vigil spoke volumes of the underlying support system present between the men, and that each already knew that they would be heading back to their office without a word being exchanged only confirmed the kinship they shared.

The impromptu convoy which formed was greeted with amused welcome by the guards at the ATF offices, and was waved through with no delay. The look on Larabee's face, however, made for a quick exit on behalf of the officer on duty, and even the quick swipe of the metal detector was done with exaggerated rapidity.

The child wrapped tightly around the foreboding figure was largely ignored by those who crossed their path, but only because he moved so little that many simply overlooked him.

JD, on the other hand, was adored by the workers in the building, and even the morose atmosphere of his pseudo-family was not enough to keep him solemn for very long. Upon stepping from the elevator, and squirming until released from his father's hold, he ran from one desk to the next, greeting each person by name and receiving laughing responses and, more often than not, candy for his troubles.

Buck, however, was not laughing. Whilst not directly curtailing his son's exuberance, he nevertheless kept a close eye on everything the boy did, following his movements with both mind and senses on full alert. He knew it was paranoid – this was the ATF headquarters, after all, one of the safest places in the city – but Vin had been taken inside a hospital, one of the only places in the world that he had considered free from such worries and dangers. He would not be making that mistake again.

'JD, son, could you keep it down a bit, huh? These people are trying to work.'

Trotting back to his father's side, the dark eyes flicked up to meet Buck's, and a sticky hand slid in to his.

'Sorry, Buck. S'just I haven't seen 'em in ages and ages, and I wanted to see if they 'member who I am.'

Smiling softly, his father chuckled, and then outright grinned as Josiah suddenly swept the boy up and on to his shoulders. Latching on with both hands and with breathless giggles filling the air, JD squealed as his biggest uncle grabbed hold of his ankles to keep him steady, but managed to tickle behind his knees at the same time.

'Oh, I don't think there'd be any problems there, little man. Not a person on earth could forget you.'

Beaming down at his father, the child suddenly remembered the sweets stashed in his pockets, and safely balanced on the broad shoulders beneath him, began to make his way through the handfuls of sugary treats.

Laughing at Josiah's face as various wrappers fluttered past his eyes, Nathan ducked to scoop up the litter as it landed. Chris, in the meantime, had made it through the labyrinth of desks on their floor to the more protected area belonging to Team Seven, and slipped past their own workspace to his office.

Ezra, following close behind their leader, pushed the door to, and sought out a worn blanket that was kept, folded, in Chris' lower desk drawer. His undercover officer could not help but smile at the items kept alongside it; where once had been files and office supplies there was now a change of clothes for his nephew, a picture painted with fingertips and love, and a child's edition of Robin Hood. Turning and passing the blanket to his friend, he watched as the blond tugged the soft material around the boy in his arms, and sat back on the small sofa tucked into the corner.

Looking up at Ezra, Chris could see the apology in his eyes. Shaking his head, he spoke in a quiet voice.

'I know, Ezra. It's alright. Just give us a minute and I'll go up and speak to Travis myself.'

'Take all the time you need, Chris. I'll be outside, if you need anything.'

Tipping his head and looking once more to the half-buried form sequestered within the black-clad arms, he backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Turning, he met the sight of Josiah dangling his youngest nephew upside down whilst Nathan tried to fish the toffee out of his friend's hair. Shaking his head with a helpless smile on his face, Ezra motioned to Buck, beckoning with a purposely covert gesture.

Sitting on the nearest desk, Ezra watched as the former ladies man sauntered over, laughing as he moved.

'That boy wears me out just looking at him.'

'Indeed, Mr Wilmington. Yet it is our other young charge that requires your supervision at the moment.'

Buck's attention snapped immediately to Ezra.

'Vin? What's wrong with him?'

Quick to placate the big man, Ezra's hands rose to stop Buck from going straight to the other boy's side. 'No, no, Buck, he's fine; well, as fine as he can be, under the circumstances. My concern is not how he is now, but rather how he will be when Chris must keep his appointment with the Director.'

'Well, I guess I'll just have to go ins-'

'No, Buck, that won't work. It's Mr Larabee that Travis wishes to meet with, as well as the head of the FBI. It is his area of expertise that they require, and you-'

'I know, I know. I don't quite measure up. Then what do you suggest, Ez?'

Smiling softly, Ezra patted the man on the shoulder, and gave a light squeeze.

'Mr Wilmington – Buck - that boy will need all of us before he can recover from this ordeal. Whilst he does feel safest within Mr Larabee's hold, granted, the child must begin to realise that he is equally safe with the rest of our, motley, I suppose some might say, group.'

'Now hang on a minute there, Ezra. It's only been a couple of hours-'

'Oh, believe me, Mr Wilmington, I know only too well. But as circumstances are conspiring against us, I think you will agree that this is our only option. And besides this, aren't you the slightest bit tempted at the prospect of holding Master Tanner for a time?'

Now his look of concern became mixed with a yearning expression, but Ezra knew that he was not likely to con his friend so easily.

'You might be right about that, Ez, but don't think I don't know what you're doing. And emotional blackmail is not a pretty ploy, my friend.'

'Oh, I most certainly agree, Buck. But needs must, as my dear mother would say. And you and I both know that in matters of coercion, she is scarcely off the mark.'

Grinning toothily, Buck rose to his feet and held out a hand, shaking once, and with more strength than truly necessary, his teammates reciprocal response.

'I might not like the way you went about it, Ez, but I gotta say, you do get the job done. Now, I just gotta go convince Larabee to loosen his hold without him taking my head off. Watch JD for me, will ya?' crossing himself theatrically, he walked to Chris' door and looked back with a quirked eyebrow, 'and if I don't make it out of there alive, tell him he can have my Elvis collection.'

Huffing and bemused despite himself, Ezra nodded. But not before muttering, 'then for the sake of the children, I wish you Godspeed, Mr Wilmington.'

To be continued


	13. Understanding the Enemy

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

Sorry for the wait guys, but what can I say? Call me oversensitive, but after one review for the last chapter, I just seemed to lose confidence in this fic, and along with it, any inspiration I may have had. But, you know, there were a lot more positives than negatives, and for all those who were reading and enjoying, I will finish it. I enjoy this fandom too much to just drift away, so you're going to have to put up with me until this is finished. So please, just sit back, enjoy, and to all those who have been with me since the beginning, thanks for sticking around.

Chapter 13

'Wish me luck.'

Chris caught the end of his friend's sentence as the door to his office opened, affording him a glimpse of Ezra's wry grin before the big man blocked his view. The click of the latch had Buck hunching his shoulders, and he crept towards the sofa with exaggerated, tiptoeing steps.

Quirking a soft smile at the delicate motions, Chris let out a sigh as Buck bent to lay a soft hand on the blanketed child held securely in his father's arms.

'How's he doing?'

Sitting gently next to Larabee, Buck could see the wealth of sharp answers that his oldest friend held back, and knew as only he could just what that show of patience and calm cost the black clad man.

'Worn out and ready for home, Buck, but I gotta go see Travis before I can make my excuses and get out of here for the rest of today. Although God only knows how he expects me to keep my mind on the job, God, on _any_ job, after this morning. That FBI guy is more likely to leave thinking I'm a sociopath than get anything useful out of me.'

Buck could not help but smirk at that.

'Well, pard, as the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed, so maybe he'll spread the word around the Fibbies' headquarters that Team Seven doesn't take too kindly to strangers telling us when we can and can't spend time with our family.'

Meeting his friend's gaze, Chris heard the humour in the remark, but could also see the steel in the blue eyes. He knew that Buck loved this job as much as anyone could, but there was a limit to the responsibilities he was willing to undertake, especially when it cut into his home life.

Not only that, but Chris suddenly realised there was another emotion lurking in that honest face, and it was one that he was ashamed to realise he had missed throughout this whole ordeal. It was not new; when Buck had been chastising him in that cold hospital corridor, it had been there, and again as Chris had marched past their desks and sequestered Vin and himself in his office without a thought.

If it had been JD who had been spirited away - and God only knew how glad Chris was that it had not happened, but if it had - he knew that he would have been itching to hold the boy, to see with his own eyes that their youngest was whole and safe once more. And as much as Buck would have been beside himself with worry, he would have given Chris that chance.

Perhaps it was his experiences that had made it so difficult for him to release his boy. With the loss of Adam, his beautiful, perfect son, the desperate urge to maintain a solid, tangible grip on what had come to represent everything good in his life was near unquenchable. By pulling Vin from that cold closet and carrying him away from the fear and the pain, Chris had achieved that which he had previously failed to do – rescue his child. There had been no consideration of other people, only the gut affirmation that this time, _this time_, things were different. This time, his reason for living would return to him, keeping his world on its axis, letting him breathe once again.

Yet, as Chris sat and watched the need flicker across Buck's accepting face, he thought that maybe, just maybe, it was simply because he was more selfish than the man in front of him could ever be.

'Why don't you take him for a while?'

The quiet question took a moment to sink in, and Buck suddenly snapped his head up, meeting his friend's apologetic expression.

'You, you mean it? I mean, of course I'd, I'd love to, but there's no hurry Chris, and Vin there, he, he looks mighty comfortable, and I don't want to-'

'Buck.'

His hand was already resting on the tangled curls, and Chris knew that he hadn't even realised he was moving.

'Yeah. Yeah.'

The short huff of air that escaped the big man as he drew the slim bundle in to his arms could have been a sigh or a sob, but Chris knew that Buck could not have cared less. Vin barely flinched, except to grasp a firm hold on his second father's shirt, and Chris straightened with a satisfied nod. Still, his arms felt empty after a morning of supporting his son's weight, and he knew that he had to move now before he reached out once more.

Keeping his voice low and soft, he stroked the damp hair once, and tugged the blanket back over an exposed shoulder as Buck settled deeper into the cushions.

'I'll be back as soon as I can. Just-'

His throat closed up for a moment, and he pulled his hand back, determinedly.

'You know where to reach me.'

He was gone and out of the door before Buck could even look up. Yet there was only the slightest of sounds as the latch fastened with a tiny click, and the ladies man smiled as he saw the black form stand stock still before throwing shoulders back, walking onwards with customary authority.

Turning his gaze back to his own charge, he could not help but lower his face to the thick curls, breathing in the faint smell of the green shampoo that JD had insisted on buying, and clamping his eyes tightly shut. He knew that Vin was here in his arms, he knew that JD was playing outside with three men who would give their lives to safeguard him from harm. Yet the anxiety that the entire day had evoked would not dissipate, and as confident as Buck had seemed dealing with a self-destructing Larabee and a team which was scrabbling to find its footing once more, he was only now beginning to feel the reality of the situation settle upon him.

This boy might well have been lost forever, taken from them, from _him_ as suddenly and as finally as his godson had been. And whilst Buck had been able to channel his grief at Adam's death into saving the boy's father, he knew that he did not have the strength to go through that again. Moreover, this would not have been a strike at Buck's extended family, the son of his closest friend and a boy that he adored; rather, to lose Vin so soon after finding him, after finding, for the first time, that he too could be loved as a father, Buck did not think that he could have survived. For JD, he would have carried on, but as a man who held to the innate beauty of life, he would have been irreparably wounded.

He knew this as clearly as he knew anything, yet, he also believed that their family could get through this situation. A small huff of breath drew his attention and he felt a grin stretch across his face as sleepy blue eyes locked with his own.

'Well, hey there, little man.'

The pale face turned to rub across the front of his shirt, and Buck chuckled as a slight shake of the shaggy head had him immediately thinking of the man who had just left the room.

'Hmm, now you're just like your Daddy there, ain'tcha, Junior? He's never been a morning person either. Course, you've got an excuse to be grumpy, I reckon, after, well, after all that's gone on.'

He found himself sinking deeper into the couch, drawing the small body higher and closer as he shifted. The blue eyes never moved away from his own and he let his head fall to rest on the back cushion, turning to the side so his oldest son could maintain that direct contact.

'You alright, Vin?'

The question struck Buck as ridiculous as soon as it left his mouth, but he didn't have that unspoken communication that Chris had formed with this child. He needed to hear the words in that drawling, soft voice, to see the boy he loved shine out through those dazed eyes.

Drawing a soft thumb down a smooth cheek, he found himself atypically lost for words. Vin was still gazing at him, fingers rhythmically stroking his shirt front, as though waiting for something to happen, something that Buck couldn't work out. The silence was not oppressive, yet he felt compelled to act, to do something to bring their Vin back.

So, he started to sing.

Later, if anyone had asked, he could not have named a single lyric that passed his lips. Elvis, probably, and some country, if he remained true to form. The Beatles, then maybe some of the older stuff from his own youth.

He knew that Vin wouldn't recognise half of it, and truthfully, he didn't know where most of the songs were coming from; they only half filtered through his brain, and many words were replaced with idle humming or mouth sounds only vaguely reminiscent of the real lyrics.

But there was a vague contentment that came with the familiar tunes, one which swirled around both father and son, leaving them warm and satisfied, reminded of putting the dishes away, or mucking out the stalls back home, vacuuming the den or rocking in the big chair. An easy settling which had Vin's lips curled into a simple smile, and Buck's heart swelling with pleasure to see it.

That was, until the ear-shattering wail that burst through the office cut through the calm, and had Buck leaping to his feet.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Buck!'

Josiah almost fell out of his seat at the piercing cry, and Nathan was reaching for the drawer that held his gun before the last of the echoes had died away.

Both pairs of eyes were immediately aimed at their youngest nephew, and the pale face of their undercover agent.

Having been sitting on Ezra's lap for the past twenty minutes, engrossed in trying every colour of pen available to him on one of his uncle's specially made notebooks, JD had failed to notice Chris leave his office, or take the back stairs up to his meeting with Travis. And, distracted and occupied as he had been, each of his uncles had fallen back, albeit with some difficulty, into their daily routine of checking reports of suspects, following up on recent developments and sorting through the endless paperwork which seemed to collect in each man's inbox.

Even Ezra, whilst holding his nephew with one firm arm, had opened up his emails, and had grown distracted by the ridiculously large amount of messages he found there. So it was with no small shock when, shortly after seeing his boss leave for his meeting, his normally irrepressible nephew suddenly, and completely without warning, tipped his head back and screamed for his father.

Tightening his hold instinctively, Ezra immediately met the eyes of the other men in the room, searching for some kind of explanation. Seeing nothing but confusion in their faces, however, had Standish turning instead to the boy in his arms, turning him around and trying desperately to make himself heard over the increasingly loud wailing emanating from the small form.

'JD? JD, what is it, child, what's wrong?'

Reddened eyes scrunched up at his uncle's questioning, and he drove his face in to the man's previously impeccable silk shirt.

'They've gone again!'

Now, Ezra Standish was not a slow man by any means. His life thus far seemed to have been comprised of complex instances, forcing him to have to analyse people, situations and angles, both throughout his childhood and since then, in his position as the team's undercover agent. He prided himself on being able to predict situations, training himself to become so attuned to human behaviour that he could prepare for any eventuality.

So it was that this behaviour, whilst surprising in its abruptness, only knocked Standish off his game for an instant. In the next, he was quite happily smiling into the black hair buried under his chin, rubbing the huddled back and rising to his feet. Rocking in his walk, he only paused to nod to his colleagues before making his way back to Chris' office, where he was met with the wide-eyed gaze of a flustered Buck Wilmington and an equally alarmed Vin Tanner.

Raising a hand to quell the worry he saw there, Ezra circled his hand, one finger pointing downwards, signalling for the anxious father to turn around and return to his previous place.

'There is no need for alarm, Mr Wilmington. Just a small misunderstanding, isn't that correct, JD?'

The small sniffles and wet bubbles of the boy in his arms did little to appease his father, but Ezra would take no quarter. Striding past Buck, he placed himself on the arm of the sofa and waited until the man and boy had returned to their seat, each with their eyes remaining fixedly on the youngest member of their family.

'You alright, little bit?'

Wide brown eyes turned to meet his father's gaze as he wrapped his hands further into the by now irreparable shirt.

'Everybody went again.'

A huff of relief skittered out of the ladies man and he smiled gently at his little boy.

'Oh, son, we didn't go anywhere. We ain't goin' to go anywhere, either. Me an' Vin just figured on taking some downtime whilst ol' Chris is upstairs with the bossman. You were never alone JD, you know I'd never leave you anywhere by yourself. Ezra was there, and Nate and Josiah-'

'Vin weren't alone but that bad man took him away. An' that bad man took me away too. S'only 'cause I'm too noisy that he let you have me back.'

Both adults in the room reacted differently. Whilst Buck visibly crumbled under the reminder of their near-miss, Ezra's face actually brightened.

'And now you believe that it is that same boisterous behaviour that will keep you safe from further troubles?'

The small face scrunched up, but neither man had to interpret as a husky voice interjected.

'Won't work JD, I was quiet and then noisy, and he still locked me in the closet. Said I was no good, that boys like me just won't do. I was bangin' on the door and then went real still, but he didn't know what he wanted. He was a real confusin' man.'

Twisting one loose curl around in a soft finger movement, Buck smiled a sad smile, resting his cheek on the top of Vin's head. He decided that it was time for him to help Ezra out. He had heard Standish at the hospital, heard his disdain for the poor creature who had been weeping beneath a sterile bed sheet as he tried to hide himself from sight. He could, however, already see and appreciate the fact that this man, who he had long admired as an agent and investigator, had already put his own feelings aside in an attempt to help the boys past this experience.

'Vin's got it just right, JD.' He hugged the small boy tighter as he met his son's watery gaze, 'that man was sick. Remember that we were in the hospital? Well, that man lives there a lot of the time, because he gets confused real easy and needs the real nurses to help him make sense of things.'

'Like when Sammy's grandpa had to go into an old people's home 'cause he kept leavin' the bath water on?'

Ezra peeled the still tightly clenched hands from his shirt front and pulled them together, to warm them between his own. 'Not exactly like that, JD, as Sammy's grandfather was old. But then again, perhaps, it is like that. The man at the hospital needs special care, and in this instance, it would appear that he had been overlooked. This was why-'

'They ignorin' him?'

Vin's soft voice still took Ezra's breath away, as it seemed to be so long since he had truly heard the child. His impromptu speech to JD had been a revelation to the southerner, but to now have the boy speak directly to him, with the tired, Texan twang that he had come to adore, he found himself hanging on each word. So much so, in fact, that he almost forgot that the child had asked him a question.

'Oh, well, I don't know if-'

'Grown-ups do that sometimes. When they got a lot of things to do. Or if you're bad or always askin' for things.'

A deft and poignant return to the dark years before the boys had been found and taken in by Larabee and Wilmington had both adults once more overcome with sadness at the matter-of-fact statement. Especially when the younger child nodded in agreement.

'Yep, or when they've gotta work and you're askin' too many questions. Ain't that right, Buck?'

Anybody who had ever seen the patience and love that the dark haired man held for his little boy could have answered the question for him, but as it was, he only just managed to breathe out a pained mumble. 'No JD, it ain't right. It's never right to ignore someone, and especially not if all they want is a little bit of care and attention.'

Wiping the remaining dampness off the small cheeks with a delicate handkerchief, Ezra dabbed once on the very tip of JD's nose, then smiled as the boy took the fabric and pressed it between his fidgeting fingers.

'There is nothing worse than being alone, JD, and that man was probably only looking to find a friend. He went about it the wrong way, I know, and scared us all in the process, but what you have to remember is that he doesn't have someone to answer all of his questions, or play games with him.'

'Oh, like when Vin and me play with the toy cars and bricks at school, or when Chris reads me a story? Or when I ask Buck a question, and he doesn't answer me right away, and he just says 'breathe, little bit' and 'I say, I am breathin'!' And then he answers me?'

Grinning for the first time that day, Ezra hoisted the child higher, wrapping his arms around the dynamic form wriggling in his grip. 'Yes, I suppose so. So, now can you go back to playing quietly, until Chris finishes his meeting? Then,' and here the undercover agent rolled his eyes dramatically, making his nephew laugh out loud, 'then, if you would like, we could visit the clown man and his hamburglar friends.'

Just as suddenly as he had grinned, the expression turned to a grimace as an equally ear-splitting shriek as the one which had started the discussion rippled through the room.

'Yay! Vin, we can go to McDonalds! An' it's new toys this week! Can Unca Nathan and Unca Josiah come too, huh, can they Buck, can they?'

The child squirmed his way out of his uncle's arms and made his way to the door without waiting for an answer, tearing it open and declaring their plans to the entire floor. Watching until he heard the expected 'ooof' of small boy hitting unprepared uncle, Buck smiled and then settled back into his seat, still playing with the curl he had captured.

'Don't think we got any worries about him being lonely. Kid could find the nearest willing listener from three miles away and zone in on 'em like a homing missile.'

A succinct nod of the head saw Ezra rising once more and heading for the exit, pausing in his stride only to place a warm palm on the small head resting against Buck's chest.

'I shall await our leader's return out at my desk.'

He made to close the door, but stopped as Buck's voice drifted out.

'Thanks Ez. S'another disaster averted. You sure are earning your pay today, huh?'

'Perhaps, Mr Wilmington. But then again, gun-runners, illegal aliens and drug barons, what are they when measured against the trials and tribulations of family?'

'Yeah. But Ez, you do realise that JD is going to hold you to the McDonald's thing.'

A small smile escaped, and Buck could see the uncle shine through the carefully honed ATF agent persona. 'Hmm. Well, yes. But do you know? It is the most curious thing. For the very first time, I think I may just enjoy the experience.'

With a tiny bow of his head and a flash of his golden tooth, Ezra closed the door.

It wasn't until five minutes later, when Buck had been certain that the boy he held had drifted off to sleep once more, that he heard the curious whisper.

'Does Uncle Ezra really work with aliens, Buck?'

To be continued...


	14. When Adults Stumble, When Family Stands

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

**A/N: For miki, Valerie, dolphina23, Cathrine, jocnjny & Judy Schroeder, who I could not reply to, and everyone else who reviewed or even just read the last chapter. Thank you for the humbling words and the unequivocal support. I hope you all enjoy. **

**And to Serenity; your email address didn't come through in your message, but I hope you'll get in contact again. Such a heartfelt review should not be ignored! **

Chapter 14

It had taken precisely four minutes and twenty-seven seconds for Chris Larabee to enter his superior's office, 'apprise' him of the situation, then be ready to leave again. It took only another fifty six seconds for him to 'greet' the FBI agent whom it had been deemed so important that he meet, then another three for him to spit out his pleasure at getting to shake the man's hand.

By the time seven minutes had passed, Chris Larabee was not only working up to a fully fledged rage, but he was taking individual names for later retribution. Starting with one A.D. Travis.

'Now, Chris, I know you've had a tough morning, but your boy is back where he belongs and I'm sure that Standish will see to all the pertinent paperwork and formalities. Getting back to the job at hand-'

The growl which tore from the scowling mouth was the only warning either of the other men present received, and neither took it lightly.

'Agent Larabee, I'm sure that you would rather be with your son at this time, but truly, if we could just discuss some of these updates in the arresting process, we will all be on our way much fas-'

The door slamming ended the sentence abruptly, and had Chris been in the slightest bit interested, he may have laughed at the hurriedly appeasing words; 'I'll make sure to get his feedback to you at a later date...'

Chris dragged both hands through increasingly dishevelled hair and slumped to land with one shoulder braced against the corridor wall.

_Feedback? I'll give them f-_

He cut the thought off before it could fully form, then slid down to crouch on his toes, elbows resting on his knees. Realising that he was even censoring his thoughts these days, he couldn't stop the bubble of laughter which spilled from his lips and, sinking further down, head remaining firmly in his hands, he broke out into bone-deep guffaws.

Leaning his head back and stretching his legs out across the walkway, he could feel the tears running down his cheeks but did nothing to stop them. He knew that he was at work, the place where appearances and image were essential. He knew that his boss and workmates could walk down this corridor at any moment to find him sprawled out, giggling like a hyena with wet cheeks and his fists clenched, ready for action. He knew that he looked, sounded, and, to be honest, felt like he had just stepped past the recognised line into craziness, but he still couldn't bring himself to stop.

He didn't notice the heads peering around doorways, or the surreptitious phone call from Mike someone or other, one of Josiah's friends, from Team Two.

He didn't notice the ting of the elevator as its doors opened at the far end of the corridor, nor the footsteps coming towards him, and he certainly didn't notice as each intelligent person on that floor closed their door before the fireworks started.

But he did feel the hand on his shoulder, and he latched on to it as though he was about to be swept away by a wave of force far greater than anything he could hope to withstand alone.

'He was gone, 'Siah. Gone from me. And Travis wants feedback on new arresting procedures. Good God, I can't even stand up straight without feeling like I want to throw my guts up, and he wants me to sit down and assess the fibbies new plans for putting scum in prison?' A scraping, desperate breath slowed the rambling for only a second. 'I feel like I'm inside out, Josiah, and I don't know what to do now. I just want to hold him close 'til this passes, but then, the next minute, I want to run so far and so fast away from this whole thing that it's making my head spin.'

The breath of relieved air blew warm over Chris' head, and he looked up in sudden surprise as he realised that the man towering over him was, in fact, laughing.

'What the hell is so funny?'

Shaking his head, the older man turned to slide down the wall and took a seat beside his boss, legs bent at the knee and arms slung casually over them, hands dangling in between.

'Do you know that I just got a call that said, 'Your Boss has cracked'?'

Raising an eyebrow, Chris glanced at Josiah's wry smile then shot a quick look over to the door at the far end of the corridor, which clicked shut with startling speed.

Alone with one of his closest friends, Chris felt the last of his reservations drain away. Sinking down, shoulders slumped, the blond seemed to age rapidly.

'Hell, Josiah, if I wasn't on the road to the nuthouse before today, I'm definitely well on my way now. Tell your friend he's right.'

A rumbling chuckle curled out from the large profiler, wrapping Larabee in its warmth.

'Can't hurt your reputation, at least, Boss.' A huge hand rose up to rest on the slumped shoulder, and Chris let his head crash back into the wall behind him, relishing the sharp contact. 'Thing is though, you don't really have the luxury of using the same tactics I'm _assuming_ you just used on Travis again with the boys. 'Cause I hate to tell you this, Chris, but Vin and JD just aren't afraid of you anymore. And even if you could run that fast, I get the feeling you still wouldn't get very far.'

Mustering up a tired smile at the attempt at levity, Chris shook his head. 'That's just the thing, Josiah. _I'm _afraid of me right now, and although I know the boys have come a long way, I don't want to push my feelings onto them. If I see them, they'll know. Because I'm terrified, 'Siah, and I don't know how to hide it.'

Dropping his hand to his friend's knee, Josiah patted it once, squeezed in support then hefted his heavy form back to his feet. Reaching down, he waited, watching, as his boss rested his eyes on the proffered hand.

'Well now, it seems to me that the reason you and those boys get along so well is because you _don't_ hide things from each other, Chris. And even if you did it for their own good, I can tell you right now that as soon as your little boy sees your face, he's gonna know exactly how you feel. But that isn't a bad thing, brother. Let him help you through it, same as you'll help him. That you're both feeling the same fear won't push you apart, Chris. If anything, it'll pull you together.'

Raising his eyes once more, Chris looked past the hand before him and met his friend's eyes. Unable to help it, one corner of his mouth quirked.

'Always with the sermon, huh, Josiah?'

Grinning and grunting as he hefted his boss to his feet, he took the moment of imbalance as an opportunity to draw the blond in close, wrapping an arm around tense shoulders.

'Stick with what you know, brother. It'll see you through.'

'Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. Right now though, I suppose I've got two boys to take out to dinner. Fancy some haute cuisine?'

Bright white teeth making a devastating reappearance, Josiah beamed down at his friend as they turned towards the elevator doors.

'Wouldn't miss it for the world, brother. Or Ezra's reaction, either, when he sees the boys' choice of venue.'

'You're a cruel man, Josiah. I thought you men of God were supposed to 'love thy neighbour', stuff like that.'

Pressing the button for the elevator car, the older man seemed to stab at the lighted square with relish. 'Aaah, but nowhere in the Good Book does it say anything about 'Thou shalt not enjoyeth an Ezra squirming'.'

Smiling himself now, Chris gestured with an arm to allow Josiah to enter the car first.

'Thanks, Josiah. Preachy you may be, but you've worked a miracle today. Didn't think I could smile again, ten minutes ago.'

Raising one eyebrow, Josiah hit the number for their floor.

'Hmm? Miracle? I think not, brother. All I did was clear the fire exits. You were blocking the corridor, you know. Nathan was in fits when he found out you were causing a fire hazard.'

As the doors slid shut on the dry laughter of the leader of Team Seven, rooms along the corridor began to breathe once more, with heads emerging at a tremulously wary pace. And as the chatter started to grow, so too did the reputation of one Chris Larabee, and his unstable, unfathomable team.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They hadn't stayed for long, which, even to Ezra's delicate sensibilities, smacked of a 'wrongness' that he could not bring himself to make the most of.

Vin was quiet and withdrawn, pressing up against Chris' side as he picked at tepid fries.

An arm wrapped around his son's shoulders, Chris spent the entire meal alternating between soothing murmurs and shooting deadly glares at those who dared stray too close to their table.

Nathan and Josiah sat opposite, the medic tutting at Chris and muttering about acting 'normally' in front of the children, the profiler leaning a smiling face against one palm and drinking in the sight of all of their family together again, no matter the problems that still lingered.

JD, on the other hand, had thrown himself into the play area with gusto, bringing relieved smiles to the adult's weary faces until, that is, he started reappearing every two minutes to, as he put it, 'just check'.

No matter how much his father and uncles reassured him, the child would not be swayed and, after eight such occurrences, finally clambered into Buck's lap, plastic toy in hand, and sighed.

'I don't wanna play no more, Buck.'

Wrapping a warm arm around his son, the dark haired man smiled softly and planted a perfunctory kiss atop the rather sweaty head.

'Okay, Little Bit. We'll just eat a tad more of our Happy Meals and then we can go, alright?'

Nodding slowly, JD gazed at the free gift grasped tightly in one hand and felt around on the tabletop for any loose fries within reach. Pulling a small pile closer to the boy's wandering fingers, Buck squeezed the increasingly heavy form in his arms once more as he raised his head to check on his second son.

Rather than the downhearted boy he had expected, however, Buck was pleasantly surprised to see Vin now sitting contentedly, hand wrapped around Chris' encircling arm while smiling at Ezra's antics.

He should have realised that Ezra wouldn't let Vin remain downhearted for long. Although none of the men had ever asked outright about the southerner's childhood, what they had gleaned from dropped comments and wistful but sad reminiscences were not of the highest quality in parent/child relations. It was, therefore, never a surprise when the man went out of his way to avoid any such sadness in his nephews' lives and, if he could fix any instant of glumness with a joke or a trick, then he would leap in with an abandon most would feel too self-conscious to attempt.

He may have been childless himself, but Ezra Standish seemed to radiate an unconscious allure to the young, and he wielded it as adeptly as his more polished and trained talents.

Of course, this extended to Vin and JD, and after the initial anxiety of yet another new adult to grow attached to, Uncle Ezra soon became one of the favourite topics of conversation in their household.

'_Uncle Ezra's car can go way faster than yours, Buck, an' he said his wheels won't fall off, neither.'_

'_Unca Ezra said that if I can learn how to count these cards, then we's goin' to Las Vay Gas, an' then he'll retire an' we can have bar-be-cues aaaall the time.'_

'_Uncle Ezra knows how to say 'thank you my dear' in fourteen different languages, and even some words that he said we weren't allowed to say, but he won't tell us them in case we meet a real live Eskimo one day and JD says some by accident.' _

'_Unca Ezra is as rich as Jesse Sanderson's dad, and when I told him that in recess, he cried, 'cause his dad ain't a ATF man either, and now he ain't got nothin' cool to talk about at all.' _

Still, as many times as Buck and Chris were made to bite their tongues about the debonair undercover agent, there were just as many instances where the man's innate ability to make the boys laugh pulled their little family back from a downward spiral. Far be it for Buck to cast aspersions on Ezra's skills with children, as he knew damn well that, although he could and had taken advantage of this skill during cases, to their own benefit, when it came to his nephews, all bets were off. And for a man of Ezra's habits, that made it a serious state of affairs indeed. The boys had become as much Ezra's keystone as they had the rest of the team and, when their world rocked as it had today, the southerner's foundations shook too.

So it was with equal amounts of hope and understanding that Buck watched the man 'at work', and he found himself holding JD all the tighter, smiling to himself as the threads of their frayed familial bonds knitted tightly once more.

As he watched, the child giggled softly, pushing back into his father's body and squirming as his uncle mysteriously 'found' a chicken nugget behind his ear.

Shaking his head in bemusement, Buck hoisted the now dozing JD higher, turning him to sprawl, semi-boneless, against one broad shoulder and grimacing as greasy fingers gripped unconsciously to his shirt front.

'Well boys, hate to spoil the magic tricks over there, but I think JD's about done. Hows about we take this show on the road and get home for an early night?'

Receiving a nod from the men across the table and a slow blink from Vin, he rose.

Making sure to tuck his son's toy into his pocket to avoid a riot later on that evening, he led the way back to the cars, fastening JD in securely and keeping his head hovering in the back as Chris did the same for Vin.

Again, Buck was surprised to see the child release his hold on Chris with little argument, and even raise a smile at the thumb stroke over his cheek.

Deciding not to question small graces, and once again thanking Ezra under his breath for his near mystical finesse when it came to the boys, Buck turned back to his teammates.

They had already decided that, as their team was going to be seriously depleted for the day, the three uncles would return to the office as soon as possible; Nathan and Josiah to begin the inevitable trawl through unfinished reports and missed appointments for that afternoon, and Ezra to attempt smooth over the cracks that Chris had left in his wake that morning.

As ever, though, the men were loathe to separate when any of their family were hurting and it took Josiah's gentle words to spur the team on.

'Take care of our little ones, brothers.'

With gentle pats to shoulders and arms, the working portion of Team Seven retreated to their respective vehicles and, one by one, pulled away.

Sighing deeply, Chris dashed a hasty hand through his increasingly mussed hair and sagged back against the car door. Glancing inside once only to see that Vin had joined JD in sleep, Buck joined his friend, leaning so that their shoulders touched.

'Long day, huh, pard.'

'You're not kidding.'

The silence stretched as both parents let the events of the last hours seep through them and settle, before beginning the work of shaking it off.

'This can't happen again, Buck. Not ever. The way this worked out was just luck, pure and simple, and we both know it. If it had been somewhere else, someone else, we might never- '

The intake of breath was rapid and harsh, but seemingly cleansing in its abruptness.

'Won't do, Buck. Those boys, they're everything I thought I'd never have again. Hell, it's more simple than that. They're everything, _everything_.'

The scarcity of Larabee's words on a normal day would have made this small speech memorable due to its length alone. But, to his oldest friend, the sheer intensity of the tone and heartbreaking terror underlying each syllable were what carved Chris' sudden diatribe on Buck's memory.

He knew that empty promises would be a bitter pill for the man to swallow – and knowing Chris as he did, it was more likely that he would spit such offerings back as accept them – yet, he also knew that he could give no certainties, as there were none.

He straightened his back and stared forwards, determined.

'I hear you, Chris. And you know how _I_ feel about them boys. But you can't blame yourself for this, pard. If anything, it was your reactions and quick thinking that had this whole thing turn out the way it did. Now, those boys may well be your everything, Chris, and God only knows that they've become my world faster than I could've ever imagined, but we can't keep them locked away for the rest of their lives. They go to school, they go out with the guys, with Nettie and Mrs Potter and their friends, and we ain't gonna be there to hold their hands through everything.'

Another drawn in breath and a clench of fists had Buck halting, but not for long. He'd been Chris' friend for too many years not to be able to read the man, and right now, although he knew that it was hurting him to admit it, he was listening, and largely accepting, what he had to say.

'We can only do _this_, Chris. Be there to pick them up and hold them close, to spoil them occasionally with cheap junk food and silly magic tricks, to make them smile through the tears. We can't hide them from the world, pard. _That_ wouldn't do. But we can be there for 'em, right there, whenever they need us to be. That, we can do.'

A surreptitious swipe at his eyes and a clearing of his throat had Chris turning slightly away from his long-time friend and drawing in a heaving breath, chest rising and falling mightily with the force of it.

Then, with a resolute nod of the head and a throwing back of his shoulders, he turned back to Buck. Placing a firm hand on the nape of the man's neck, he squeezed lightly and met the hazel gaze.

'And that's what we will do, partner. That's exactly what we'll do.'

To be continued...


	15. Us and Them

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

**A/N: Apologies for the wait and the length of this, but truly, I just had to get this scene written and posted before my mind melted. JD would not leave me be!**

**Oh, and also, the ending kind of assumes that readers can remember the previous couple of chapters, and after such a lengthy absence, it may well just seem like a random non sequitur. But it's not, I swear! **

**And Trish, if you're reading this, I'm nearly done with your next chapter. But if I didn't post this today, my S&H brain would have been unable to switch on again! (You shot him?!?) **

Chapter 15

There was a marked difference between the way their little family had left the house that morning and how they returned that night.

Both boys were held just as close, secure and loved by their fathers within the tight circle of their arms. Yet each grip had an edge of desperate gratitude and twitchy diligence which had never before been part of their home-life.

Certainly, both Chris and Buck had had days where the warmth of the porch light seemed a world away from the harshness of their work; where the smell of a son's washed hair or the sight of tiny socks could bring them to the brink of tears.

When the dirt and darkness of ATF life just clashed so forcefully with the simplicity and sweetness of a child's voice that reality seemed split between _them_ and _us_. Those who lived beyond their home and those who made it what it was.

But never had that disturbance - that sheer sense of _imbalance -_ never had that extended to include the boys.

Neither had ever considered that it would. Hadn't their purpose, from the very start of this adventure into parenthood, been to ensure that the days of fear and uncertainty were firmly in the past for Vin and JD both? Wasn't the ranch supposed to be a haven, and their decisions iron-clad? Weren't they supposed to stop these things from happening before they could impact on their sons again?

_It was just a little bit too much of real life coming too close to our home... Too close..._

They hadn't spoken for most of the ride home, only perking up when JD had snorted once in sleep, making each man smile. Buck with pride for his noisy boy, Chris with amusement at the likeness between the two dark haired members of his household.

Of course, upon reaching the somewhat rockier road of the driveway, JD had jerked himself awake, immediately clamouring for the toy from his Happy Meal. Chris wished that he'd put money on it.

_I could make a far better living predicting that boy's behaviour than I ever could catching criminals. And it's far more fun, too._

'Where'sit Buck? 'Wuz there when I had fries, did ya leave it? Huh?' The mashing of a fist into a still tired eye told both of his fathers just how this night was likely to proceed, and Buck jumped headfirst into averting the semi-tantrum that brewed whenever a sleepy JD believed himself to have been wronged. 'Vin'll have his toy'n I forgotted to bring mine. Buck, where is it? We gotta go back'n get my-'

The truck pulled to a slow stop to the side of the house as Buck made shushing noises and Chris glanced into the rearview mirror, not surprised to see dazed blue eyes staring back at him. Smiling, he clicked the release on his seatbelt as his partner went to work.

'Now, JD son, you know what we've said about whining when you don't know the full story. You just give me a minute to get us into the house and you can have your-'

Too slow. The ATF agent/ex-lady's man/father-in-training should have recognised that this situation needed fast work; it was definitely not the time for a lesson, even if it was only a small one. The following noise split itself partway between screech and sob and had Buck ducking out of the vehicle at an unmatched pace.

Chris winced as he climbed down from his seat and pulled the back door open, unfastening Vin and lifting him gently from the car. Although he'd gained a decent amount of weight since they'd taken the boys in, the child was still slim enough to be held easily with one arm, and Chris took full advantage of that as the floppy form rested against his chest. Pressing a soft kiss to the warm forehead, the blond closed the door, hoping only to block out the noise therein until he could get his son and his injured limb situated. He certainly would never leave Buck to deal with a fully-fledged JD attack on his own.

_Well, not for long, anyway._

Besides, if he did, it would only be in Buck's best interest. He had to learn that there's a time for lecturing, and a time for appeasement, and this was most definitely the latter.

Still, he was not particularly looking forward to hanging around out in the driveway for longer than he had to, so made his way round to the other side of the car with a sedentary pace that he told himself was to save Vin from any jarring.

_And if Buck has JD calmed down by the time we make it round there, then so much the better..._

The sight that greeted him not only caused him to smile, it also restored his faith in Buck's skills with people, be they large, small, female or... JD. The boy was not only ensconced firmly in his father's arms, but had wrapped himself so tightly around the big man that Chris could only see a rapidly reddening face and a flapping hand that seemed uncertain whether to peel off the human limpet which had latched onto his torso, or pull it closer.

The blond stepped forward and ran a soothing hand down the tiny back, coaxing the boy to loosen his grip. The child had been through so many emotions that day that it was unsurprising that he would 'act out', if only to force some normalcy back into the day. And as pleasant and well behaved as their boys were most of the time, a tiny tantrum was often a preferred method by Vin and JD both, just to test the limits of their new lives.

Chris had heard it time and time again – if the world is making you feel out of control, then you just have to find a way to take that control back. Just because JD was doing that through a means tried and tested by generations of children before him - screaming – it made it no different to when Chris had hit the bottle or Vin withdrew into himself.

If the boy threw a tantrum, he knew that Buck would react. All he wanted was a little bit of comfort and a whole lot of their everyday, regular interactions, and in his own way, he had accomplished just that.

_And if after every tantrum and each apology he got to snuggle with his Buck, then that was simply an added bonus for the both of them. _

Chris was well aware that JD probably would not have thought in terms of the psycho-babble that he himself had learned by rote over the years. But the effects were the same, and just showed how shaken their youngest boy had been by the day's events.

_Time for a little bit of everyday, same-old same-old, then. Just what the doctor ordered for two tired boys and their equally tired fathers._

Meeting Buck's gaze over the top of JD's head, and raising his voice to be heard over the still ragged breathing creeping out from the boy's taut frame, Chris proposed what he believed to be the perfect remedy.

'So, who's up for cocoa and popcorn, and maybe a little bit of Shrek for dessert?'

Buck's eyes twinkled with amusement as he jiggled his son up and down in his arms, trying to evoke a reaction. Sounded like another night of dreadful Scottish accents and multicoloured nonsense to him, but he knew Chris liked it even less than he, so went along with it. At the very least, he would be sharing the misery. And that always made it a little better.

'Hey, sounds like fun, huh, boys? S'not every night Chris here lets us have movie _and_ popcorn, is it?'

A snuffling movement, and Buck lost any hope of wearing his shirt again as tears and mucus joined the greasy streaks already down his front. 'Does too, Buck, that's how your s'posed to watch movies. Unca Ezra said.'

Lifting the damp chin and wiping small cheeks with a gentle thumb, Buck smiled in affected surprise. 'Really? And here's me thinkin' that you eat smores with movie watchin'.'

A small giggle and another snuggle had each man sighing with relief. 'Naw, silly, that's for campin'. Smores wiv campin', popcorn an' Shrek. That's how it goes, Buck.'

Winking at his friend and moving toward the house as Chris locked up the truck, Buck dug around for the keys.

'Well, silly old me. I guess you'll just have to remind me of what goes with what around here, Little Bit. Old Buck seems to have just plain forgot.'

As father and son made their way into the ranch house, Chris paused at the porch, hefting Vin a little higher and glancing upwards at the clouds. Whispering a small thanks, the man held his boy closer and took a step.

_Back on the road to building an everyday, just with a few extra passengers along the way. _

_God, he would not change a thing._

He reached for the doorknob and paused as a soft voice mumbled into the side of his neck.

'Chris, does Buck really work with aliens?'

To be continued...


	16. The Search for Normal

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

**A/N: Thanks to pj's who I could not reply to, and for each and every review that flew in after I posted the last chapter. And for sfulton229, who believes in fluff and lots of it. I am always happy to oblige on that front!**

Chapter 16

Everything was not back to normal. He had tried, really he had, but every time that he glanced over at Chris and the boy lying sprawled across his chest, he just ran out of breath.

They had watched one movie, and when that had proven far too short to their suddenly wide-awake sons, clicked over to some kid's channel that he had long ago stopped watching, if only for the sake of his sanity. JD had relocated to the floor when Buck's 'nose was makin' squeaking noises', even though the man knew for a fact that he'd only closed his eyes for a second, and even if he had fallen asleep, he most definitely didn't snore, anyway.

But now that he was awake again, he just couldn't shake it. His entire family, such as it was, was within touching distance. Not that he didn't consider the rest of the guys family, but this, _this_ was the core of his world, right here.

And it looked normal.

JD kicking his legs and clutching some kind of action figure/robot-thing that he'd wanted for his birthday in one hand, but eyes completely engrossed in whatever garish, noisy creature was bouncing around the TV screen just then. Chris was slouched low in his recliner, half-full coffee cup gone stone-cold beside him as he gently teased out the damp tangles wedged solidly beneath his chin.

And Vin, tucked safely against the man, still warm from a brief bath and wipe down that was intended to make him fall back to sleep, but so far had only earned the exuberance of JD as he had realised that he was excused, just this once. It had only been sensible – after all, the boy barely kept any water in the tub on a normal night, never mind...

And there it was again. That word. _Normal_.

Buck sighed and shifted, scrubbing the back of his head against the chair, as though he could sink into its soft support and hide from everything that had happened. Unfortunately, the furniture had been chosen by one Sarah Larabee, and the dark haired man smiled as he made the connection.

Yep, she would have made him sit up and face his problems, too.

A small hand on his knee brought him back to the present.

'S'matter, Buck?'

Heart-shaped face and eyes like puddles of chocolate, Buck couldn't help but reach out to his son. Tugging him onto his lap, he wrapped one arm round the small body now straddling his thighs and brushed the floppy hair back from JD's face with the other.

'Nuthin', little britches. Just ol' Buck bein' silly, is all.'

The dark eyes scrunched up in irritation, and a pudgy hand prodded Buck's shirt-front.

'You're sighin' and shuffling about, Buck. Like Peso when he's ornery, or Pony when he's got a burr up-'

'Ahem! Er, well now, I'm not a horse, am I, son? So it's a little different.' Mind spinning a mile a minute to avert yet another JD disaster – this time he knew _exactly _where his son had picked up that particular phrase, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let the boy talk him into yet another lecture from Chris – he couldn't help but dart a glance over at the other recliner to see what his friend was making of his attempts at covering up. The raised eyebrow made it quite clear that he was fooling no-one, and Buck only just stopped himself from sighing yet again as he realised that he was bound to get a talking to later on that evening. Still, he ploughed ahead. 'I just couldn't get comfy there for a while, but I think maybe now I might be able to.'

Falling forward with the surety only a child can muster, JD dropped heavily onto his father's chest and squirmed until he was comfortable. It was almost like an animal turning in circles before flopping into a nest, and Buck let the child settle before wrapping his arms around him.

'You comfortable now, Buck?'

Laughing softly and resting a cheek on the sleek hair below him, the big man nodded.

'Yeah, son. I'm real comfy now.' Stroking a hand over the warm back, Buck felt the huge sigh before he felt the popcorn scented breath hit his neck. 'Well, that sure was a big sigh, JD. You're not turning into an ornery horse like ol' Peso, are ya?'

The jiggling of laughter settled over the tired father's mind like a balm, and he pulled the boy closer out of sheer love.

'No, Buck. Peso couldn't sit on your knee like this, could he? And he isn't allowed in the house either. Isn't that right, Chris?'

The green eyes settled contentedly on their youngest and softened as they met the slowly drooping expression there. 'That's right, JD. No horses in the house, that's the rule.'

Snuggling closer still, the boy took a handful of shirt – plus a fair bit of Buck's chest hair, but he found that he didn't mind, overly – and relaxed utterly.

'Told ya, Buck. I ain't no horse.'

'No. A little monkey, perhaps, but not a horse...' At the lack of response, Buck shifted slightly and ducked his head to sneak a look at JD's face. Eyes tight shut and mouth wide open, the boy looked as if he had had one last thing to say, but had run out of steam mid-sentence.

Pulling the lax form further up into his arms, Buck sighed one last time. But this one didn't have that ring of melancholy that had summoned his son earlier. No, this time, even he could recognise the normality and homeliness of the sigh.

His family was here. They were safe. And that breath that he could not find earlier was once more deep and satisfying. His boy rose up and down with each repetition and was soothed by its regularity.

No, things were still not back to normal. But their sons were content once more, and he could find a lot of comfort in that.

Looking over at Chris, he smiled, then closed his eyes. And he let the yellow sponge-thing on the TV lull him towards sleep, sub-consciously praying that it would not still be bouncing about in his dreams.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had taken at least twenty minutes to get Buck roused enough to make his way to the boys' room and then to bed. Chris couldn't help but laugh at the wobbly steps and the grumbles that drifted back up the hallway towards him, even as the big man angled himself to stagger sideways past the scattering of toys and backpacks that they had not yet had the time or inclination to tidy away.

Still, once JD had been safely tucked in, Buck had pulled himself together enough to stroke a gentle hand down Vin's hair, ducking to look into sleepy eyes.

'You still awake, buddy? Been a long day, huh?'

The tousled head was lying, unhurried and dreamy on his father's shoulder and Chris was in no great rush to release his hold on the boy. A slow smile washed over the pale face and Buck beamed in return.

'Mm-hmm.'

He ran a thumb over a warm cheek and tweaked at the snub nose. A giggle and slight turn of the head was Buck's reward as Vin rubbed his face against Chris's shoulder, as though to make sure he could hide his nose should Buck's fingers sneak too near again. But as happy as the giggle had made him, Chris knew that Buck would not try for another. Not tonight.

The line between laughter and tears was too fine a division, and the boys were just worn out enough to drift off without any outside intervention. Slow and steady was just perfect in this instance and Chris levered himself from his chair with only a slight tugging in his lower back to remind him of the hours of Vin-lifting he'd done that day. Rumpled but content, the blond man threw a wink at his long-time friend and tilted his head towards his own bedroom.

'Well, I think I'm just about done for the day. We're gonna go hit the sack, pard. See you in the morning, Bucklin.'

A raised eyebrow was the only overt sign of a question, but Chris knew what his long-time friend was thinking.

'Just for tonight, I think. It'll be chilly in the boys' room, and Vin's hair is still a little damp. Best to keep him with me for the night.'

It was a pathetic attempt at justification, but Chris couldn't bring himself to care. He was not ready to let Vin out of his sight, and even if the boy was only a whisker away from sleep, he knew that if he put him in the boy's room, he'd only lie awake until his son crept into join him. This way, he'd just skip the unnecessary middle part.

Resolute and with a touch of desperation shading the tone of his reasoning, Chris blurted a final thought at Buck's knowing expression.

'I- We'll be fine, Buck. See you in the morning.'

The face before him softened and Buck smiled gently before pressing a kiss to the sleepy boy's forehead. Holding the contact for a beat longer than was usual with this particular child, Buck used the prolonged closeness to simply breathe in the warmth and scent of Vin's hair and skin. A mixture of baby shampoo and popcorn, heat and drowsiness cemented the man's world, and he tousled the loose curls once more.

'Night, Vin.'

Then, just as heartfelt, a quiet, 'night, Chris.' The accompanying squeeze to the back of the blond man's neck almost brought tears to his eyes, but rapid blinking and a deep breath averted the onslaught that would almost certainly have erupted.

Buck's door shut with a muted click, but Chris knew that it would be reopened before the man climbed into bed. It had become a sore point with JD when he had tried to find Buck during the night a few months ago, only to find a jammed door handle and Buck's heavy snores drowning out his whispered attempts at grabbing his father's attention.

The resulting shouts had had each member of the family awake and staggering before the echoes had dissipated, at least two of them scrambling for firearms in the process.

Since then, Buck had only closed his door to get changed, and left it ajar until morning rolled around.

Satisfied that his boys would each be content with the sleeping arrangements tonight, Chris made his way to his own room, hoisting Vin a touch higher as he moved.

As he pushed his own door to, he couldn't help the smile that crept up as he heard the small click across the hallway, Buck and JD's own safety blanket in place.

Perhaps things were starting to get back to normal, after all.

To be continued...


	17. Tomorrow is Another Day

**Title:**** 'Won't Do'**

**Author:**** freeflow**

**Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

**A/N: To all those who reviewed, read and consistently showed their support and appreciation for this fic. As it winds down, I can't help but think that this story (which was originally an experiment for me, to see if I could write a short tale with mini-chapters!) has gone on for far longer than I had intended – but honestly, I would not have had it any other way. Much love and even more gratitude for all those still here, at the final part of 'Won't Do'. And I'll try to put the boys back how I found them!**

Chapter 17

It wasn't with fright that Chris Larabee jerked awake that night. He knew as he twitched out of a deep sleep that he was where he was supposed to be; that his son was nearby, Buck across the hallway, and JD had more than likely joined him sometime in the early hours.

It was with only a tiny sliver of apprehension that he ran a hand over cooling sheets searching for the warm form of his boy and with just a tingle of doubt that he wondered at finding nothing. Perhaps it was the restful hours he'd spent just lying there, watching as Vin's chest rose and fell against him. Maybe it was just that early - make that _very_ early - morning lethargy which often followed a busy day and a late night. Or it may well have been, as he so often experienced, that he simply knew where his child was, and that he would speak when he wanted to.

They were far more alike than even the rest of his team realised, and it was these early morning silences and twilight hour conversations that allowed Chris to see the boy in Vin when so often, all he let anyone see was the tiny man already forced into a pseudo-adulthood.

So, he waited.

And as he knew it would, it took only a few more minutes before a deep sigh shuddered across the room. He rolled onto his back and lay still, focussing his eyes into the semi-darkness and finding, with little difficulty, the tousled silhouette of his son.

'Chris?'

The voice was tired but clear, yet it made Chris' heart ache all the same. Too serious for a child, too thoughtful and conflicted.

_You can talk to me, son. You've always known that._

'Yeah, buddy?'

The little body rocked closer and Chris could feel the bony points of knees digging in to his thigh. Vin must be sitting cross legged, he thought, but resisted the urge to pat or touch the boy before he instigated it, even though the parental part of his brain was fairly shrieking '_take the weight off his ankle!_'.

'I know you'n Buck ain't so happy about everythin' that happened today. You know, with that man and all.'

A burst of rage burned behind Chris' eyes and he was instantly grateful for the near darkness that hid such emotions from this skittish child.

'Mm-hmm.'

It was all he could do to answer, even if he had used no actual words. But he was sure that he could pass that off as tiredness this early in the day. Not even Vin was so astute as to-

'You too mad to talk 'bout it?'

Maybe not. Chris pressed his eyes closed and dragged in as silent a breath as he could manage, then rolled his head to one side, dragging a hand through his sleep-ruffled hair.

'No, Vin, no. I'm not mad. And I'm certainly not mad at you for _wanting_ to talk about it, either. If anything, I'm glad that you feel that you can, cowboy. But when I think about that man and how he took you away from me, then I... well, I just... It makes me very, _very_ sad, okay? And maybe, if I'm honest, a little bit mad at me and Buck for not looking after you better.'

The silhouette shuffled a tad closer and Chris could feel small fingers picking at the lint on the quilt.

'But you'n Buck didn't know, Chris. It was all that man's fault, and I reckon that even if you'd a known, he'd a probably still done it to some other boy and his dad.'

That was not the point and never would be, but for now, Chris kept quiet. Let his boy assuage him of all the guilt that he liked, but Chris would never forgive himself for the slip-ups he'd made that day. And he knew Buck wouldn't either. Things were definitely going to change with regards to who had access to his boys at any given time – but that was a thought for later and strictly for the adults in this mish-mash of a family that they'd cobbled together. For Vin, things needed to be black and white and worry-free, and Chris was determined that that was what his boy was going to have.

'At least I knew that you'd come an' get me, Chris. I knew my Dad would find me. So I wasn't _that_ scared.'

The minute movement towards the head-end of the bed belied that statement a little, but when the cool hand crept into his own, Chris made no comment, only wrapping his fingers around the small offering.

'I'll always come for you, cowboy. Always.'

Another sigh and the talk was coming to an end.

The shuffling grew more pronounced and Chris helped by levering up one side of the covers, allowing the chilly feet to take up position against his warm legs and pulling the slim body against his side.

Soft curls nestled beneath his chin once more and Chris was glad he had turned onto his back before the reshuffle had ended, as he knew that he would not be moving anymore this night. Silence reigned for a brief moment then a wondering tone drifted up from his neck.

'You...you know what that man said, Chris?'

It was enough to make his spine crackle with barely suppressed anxiety, but Chris managed to keep his voice calm as he answered.

'No, Vin, I didn't get to speak with him. What did he say?'

'He... When you was shoutin' and I shouted back but you didn't hear me, and you were walkin' off the wrong way, he, he said that I was no good, that you didn't want me no more, just like him. He didn't want me 'cause I wouldn't shut up, and he said that I won't do, nuh-uh, just won't do 'cause I don't know how t'keep quiet and play nice with him.'

His hold had increased as the words spilled out, until Chris was itching to dive straight into the Ram and take off for the hospital to wreak some old-school style justice on each and every member of staff who had failed them that day.

But he couldn't. And he wouldn't. For the series of errors that had allowed a mentally ill man to traumatise his child for almost an hour was going to be accounted for. He had Ezra taking care of that, and if there was a man more capable of bringing bureaucrats to their knees than his boys' honorary uncle, then Chris had yet to meet him.

And any thoughts of physically harming the patient who had taken his boy were finally settling into a more logical, moral state of bubbling resentment. He knew that hurting the man was nigh on impossible anyway, with the security that would be surrounding him that night, but there was also his own beliefs to consider.

He knew that his son had been hurt by all of this. He knew that and he hated it. But the man who had done it had no idea. He was as much victim of a lax system as Chris, Vin, Buck and the rest of their family had become, from the loneliness which came with sitting in a silent ward each and every day, to the unfriendly, apathetic nurse who led the psych department staff. It didn't mean that he forgave him. Not by any means. But he was not to be held accountable. And that left Chris with a confused son who whispered out his insecurities in the night, trusting only in the darkness and the man who had failed to keep him safe to maintain the secrecy of his thoughts.

It wasn't fair.

And it wasn't right.

But he could start to make it better. A trip to the boys' therapist was most definitely in order, along with the physical care Vin's leg would need. And with a little time and a lot of effort, they would get Vin back to where he had been before all of this had happened. His child was strong, he knew that if nothing else. And he would try his damndest to make things as easy for Vin as he could. Starting right now.

'Vin, you listen to me. If there is one thing that I am certain of in this world, it is that you are the bravest, strongest, most honest child that I have ever known. You came into my life like a gift from God himself and if that isn't the one thing that I am most thankful for every day, then I deserve to lose you, boy. You are the piece of me that I had lost somewhere along the way and no matter what that man or anyone else ever tells you, you believe in that. Won't do? My son? Pfft, if we didn't know he was mad before, then we sure do now.'

There was a sudden beat of silence as the heartfelt words seemed to hover over them both. Then, as though they'd finally settled and registered, Chris was startled to feel Vin shaking against him.

Ducking his head in alarm, he dashed a gentle hand over soft hair and softer cheek, questing and questioning.

'Vin? Cowboy, what's wrong?'

The abrupt movement should have shocked him, but Chris barely had time to draw in a breath before giggles were flooding over his face. Tiny white teeth glinted in the sparse light and then his neck was engulfed in a tight hug.

Wrapping his arms around the jiggling form, Chris let out a relieved breath and waited.

It took a little longer this time, and Chris rubbed the small back as the laughter turned to hiccups and then petered out altogether.

'Something funny, little man?'

The answering giggle had Chris smiling once more as he awaited his answer.

'Uncle Josiah'd be mad at you if he'd heard you say 'mad' and Uncle Nathan would've made that face where you know he thinks you've said something bad but he's gonna keep it 'til later to tell you off 'bout it. Uncle Ezra said it earlier – well, I think he did, it sounded like he said 'crazy as a, a balloon' or something like that, I didn't really understand – and Uncle Josiah grabbed his arm and took him outside and all you could hear was Uncle Ezra saying 'unhand me, sir!' and Uncle Josiah telling him he had to think about little ears before he speaks. Then Uncle Ezra came in all red in the face and told JD and me not to say 'mad' anymore. Then Buck said 'how about nutcase' and Uncle Ezra went all weird and ran out again. I think he was laughing, but Uncle Josiah wasn't, so I didn't either.'

'Smart move, cowboy. Josiah sure can get scary when he's being all... righteous.'

'Or when Uncle Ezra's being naughty.'

'Oh yes. Definitely then.'

The small finger tracing circles on Chris' bicep was soft and rhythmic and he could feel himself growing sleepy just under its steady cadence. The words then, when they came, blindsided him, and he could feel the tears beginning behind his eyes.

'I'm glad you came for me, Chris. And I know that man wasn't nice n' he hurt my ankle and said mean stuff. But he was all sad too. It's awful to have no one come to see you, to ask how you are and talk to you. If I was him, maybe I'd want a friend to play with, too.'

Stroking the tousled hair, Chris rested his palm against Vin's face and met his son's gaze in the dawning light.

'Vin Tanner, in all my days I have never been so proud of anyone as I am right now. And you know what?'

'What.'

'You don't have to worry about that man anymore. We'll make sure that he's not so lonely. Josiah is already checking into his records, and will make sure to visit him whenever he can. We're working on helping him, too, cowboy.'

The bright blue eyes glistened with happiness before ducking back down again to snuggle back into Chris' throat.

'Then you know what, Chris?'

'What, cowboy.'

'Maybe it was a good thing that happened, huh?'

His first thought, if he was honest, was that the statement was naive. Unbearably so, in fact. But he couldn't match that with the boy that it came from. Yes, Vin was a child yet, and saw things through a child's eyes, but he had seen darkness first-hand. He knew when people were good or bad, or when they were just plain confused, and he had experienced both at far too young an age. _Perhaps,_ Chris thought for the first time, _Vin is more qualified than I am to make a judgement like that. After all, it wasn't me that got dragged off, locked in a closet, injured and alone, taunted by a psycho-_

He cut off his thoughts abruptly and grimaced as he imagined Josiah's response to him using that word. Then, calmer once more, considered his son's question.

Although his heart froze at the sudden thought of the myriad alternative endings to today, of his world without this child in it, Chris simply breathed deeply and allowed himself to revel in the warmth and solidity of the boy in his arms. If the world was as beautiful and good as the way this child could still see it, even after all that he had been through, then perhaps, just perhaps, Chris could squint too, and eke out a silver lining.

For Vin, he'd try.

'Maybe, son. Maybe.'

Vin fell asleep as the sun poked through the curtains, leaving Chris counting the strips of sunlight on the far wall.

It wasn't fixed. He knew that. There was a way to go before he would even be able to let his son sleep in his own bed without a twinge of anxiety, and he found, in that hushed moment before the world awoke, that he could admit it to himself.

He was scared. Probably more than Vin was, certainly more than he had been since the boys had moved in with him. He didn't know if he could move past it, even though he would make certain that Vin and JD did. He didn't know if he wanted to.

It didn't pay to get complacent in his line of work, and he knew from personal, agonising experience that taking for granted those closest to you is a danger in and of itself.

But he would not let it rule him. Chris Larabee was not one to take anything lying down, and this was one wake-up call they couldn't afford to sleep through.

It seemed to be a pattern with him, he grudgingly reflected. Any real lesson, any truly _important_ message only seemed to hit home when it ripped the breath from his lungs and left him hanging.

But boy, had he learned from this one.

Message received and understood.

He pulled Vin closer.

And smiled as he heard the door across the hallway squeak open, followed by a sharp 'oomf'.

They were all where they should be. And for now, Chris could rest easy.

Tomorrow was another day.

The end.


End file.
